Synthesis of thiol-glycol-functionalized carbon nanotubes and characterization with FTIR, TEM, TGA, and NMR technics

Abstract

Carbon nanotube is one of the important topics of interest in the nanotechnology science. Many scientists have been interested in surface-modified nanotubes for decades. In this study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized with polyethylene glycol and dithiols in esterification reactions. The MWNTs were first carboxylate-functionalized. The carboxylated MWCNTs were acyl chlorite substituted. The functionalized MWNTs were used as the precursor to esterification of polyethylene glycols and thiols. The reactions were performed catalysts or non-catalysts, solvent-free and solvent media, using microwave-assisted and classical methods. The synthesized compounds were characterized by FTIR, TGA, TEM and NMR techniques. We investigate the advantage of microwave synthesis method in terms of time and solvent in Green Chemistry. The obtained compounds exhibit very interesting results in their complexes with metals due to containing free hydroxyl and thiol groups.