Chemical attachment of dibromocarbene to carbon nanotubes

Dibromocarbene-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes were prepared and characterized. The presence of different phase transfer catalyst has some effects on the modification, and benzyltriethylammonium chloride is a more effective phase transfer catalyst in the cycloaddition of dibromocarbene to multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The tube structure of functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes is well kept and amorphous carbon was removed from multi-walled carbon nanotube samples through repeating water/chloroform washing. Cycloadditon of dibromocarbene to multi-walled carbon nanotubes did not affect their defect sites, which are still well kept for further modification.