Jeffrey L. Bahr

Covalent chemistry of single-wall carbon nanotubes

Despite the extraordinary promise of single-wall carbon nanotubes, their realistic application in materials and devices has been hindered by processing and manipulation difficulties. Now that this unique material is readily available in near kilogram quantities (albeit still at high cost), research into means of chemical alteration is in full swing. The covalent attachment of appropriate moieties is anticipated to facilitate applications development by improving solubility and ease of dispersion, and providing for chemical attachment to surfaces and polymer matrices. While it is clear that more investigation is needed to elucidate the nature and locality of covalently attached moieties, developments to date indicate that carbon nanotubes may indeed be considered a true segment of organic chemistry. In this contribution, we review the current state of carbon nanotube covalent chemistry, and convey our anxious expectation that further developments will follow.

Dissolution of small diameter single-wall carbon nanotubes in organic solvents?

The solubility of small diameter single-wall carbon nanotubes in several organic solvents is described, and characterization in 1,2-dichlorobenzene is reported.

Photoinduced electron transfer in tetrathiafulvalene-porphyrin-fullerene molecular triads

The two molecular triads 1a and 1b consisting of a porphyrin (P) covalently linked to a fullerene (C60) electron acceptor and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) electron-donor moiety were synthesized, and their photochemical properties were determined by transient absorption and emission techniques. Excitation of the free-base-porphyrin moiety of the TTF−P2 H−C60 triad 1a in tetrahydro-2-methylfuran solution yields the porphyrin first excited singlet state TTF−1P2 H−C60, which undergoes photoinduced electron transfer with a time constant of 25 ps to give TTF−P2 H.+−C60.−. This intermediate charge-separated state has a lifetime of 230 ps, decaying mainly by a charge-shift reaction to yield a final state, TTF.+−P2 H−C60.−. The final state has a lifetime of 660 ns, is formed with an overall yield of 92%, and preserves ca. 1.0 eV of the 1.9 eV inherent in the porphyrin excited state. Similar behavior is observed for the zinc analog 1b. The TTF-PZn.+−C60.− state is formed by ultrafast electron transfer from the porphyrinatozinc excited singlet state with a time constant of 1.5 ps. The final TTF.+−PZn−C60.− state is generated with a yield of 16%, and also has a lifetime of 660 ns. Although charge recombination to yield a triplet has been observed in related donor-acceptor systems, the TTF.+−P−C60.− states recombine to the ground state, because the molecule lacks low-energy triplet states. This structural feature leads to a longer lifetime for the final charge-separated state, during which the stored energy could be harvested for solar-energy conversion or molecular optoelectronic applications.

Driving Force and Electronic Coupling Effects on Photoinduced Electron Transfer in a Fullerene‐based Molecular Triad¶

Abstract Tuning thermodynamic driving force and electronic coupling through structural modifications of a carotene (C) porphyrin (P) fullerene (C60) molecular triad has permitted control of five electron and energy transfer rate constants and two excited state lifetimes in order to prepare a high-energy charge-separated state by photoinduced electron transfer with a quantum yield of essentially unity (≥96%). Excitation of the porphyrin moiety of C–P–C60 is followed by a combination of photoinduced electron transfer to give C–P·+–C60·− and singlet–singlet energy transfer to yield C–P–1C60. The fullerene excited state accepts an electron from the porphyrin to also generate C–P·+–C60·−. Overall, this initial state is formed with a quantum yield of 0.97. Charge shift from the carotenoid to yield C·+–P–C60·− is at least 60 times faster than recombination of C–P·+–C60·−, leading to the overall quantum yield near unity for the final state. Formation of a similar charge-separated species from the zinc analog of the triad with a yield of 40% is also observed. Charge recombination of C·+–P–C60·− in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran yields the carotenoid triplet state, rather than the ground state. Comparison of the results for this triad with those for related triads with different structural features provides information concerning the effects of driving force and electronic coupling on each of the electron transfer steps.

Thermal mismatch strains in sidewall functionalized carbon nanotube/polystyrene nanocomposites.

We present an unusual temperature dependence of thermal strains in 4-(10-hydroxy)decyl benzoate (HDB) modified SWNTPS (SWNT-single wall carbon nanotube, PS-polystyrene) nanocomposites. The strain transfer from the matrix to nanotubes in these nanocomposites, inferred from the frequency change of the Raman active tangential modes of the nanotubes, is enhanced strongly below 300 K, whereas it is vanishingly small at higher temperatures. The increased strain transfer is suggestive of reinforcement of the HDB-SWNTPS nanocomposites at low temperatures. On the other hand, the pristine SWNTs couple weakly to the PS matrix over the entire temperature range of 4.5-410 K. We argue that the strain transfer in HDB-SWNTPS is determined by the thermomechanical properties of the interface region composed of polystyrene plasticized by the tethered alkanelike modifier.