HRTEM and EELS investigation of functionalized carbon nanotubes

We have successfully resolved and visualized the structure of some chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). To represent the chemically modified CNT, we selected three systems. The first system is oxidized and surface thiolated MWCNT, the second system is Dy3N@C80 peapods prepared by depositing trimetal nitride fullerenes into SWCNT. The formed structure is the Dy3N@C80@SWCNT. The third system is the conventional C60@SWCNT fullerene peapods, fluorinated by xenon difluoride (XeF2) up to 18% of F. We achieved detection of very low amount (0.6%) of sulfur and proved covalent bonding onto MWCNT surface. We present EELS imaging of the separated metal clusters inside endohedral metallofullerene peapod bundles and in the fluorinated C60 peapods we show homogeneous fluorination across the whole surface.