FUNCTIONALIZATION OF NANOSCALE ARTICLES INCLUDING NANOTUBES AND FULLERENES

• Main Authors: ZHANG WEI, SWAGER TIMOTHY M
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.09.2008
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; METALLURGY; NANOTECHNOLOGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; NUCLEIC ACIDS; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PEPTIDES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; SUGARS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; USE OF INORGANIC OR NON-MACROMOLECULAR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES ASCOMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS

The present invention generally provides compositions including carbon-containing molecules, and related methods. In some cases, the present invention relates to aromatic molecules comprising functional groups bonded to the aromatic portion of the molecule, including nonplanar portions of the molecules. Methods of the invention may provide the ability to introduce a wide range of functional groups to carbon-containing molecules. In some cases, methods of the invention may be performed using relatively mild reaction conditions, such as relatively low temperature, low pressure, and/or in the absence of strong acids or strong bases. The present invention may provide a facile and modular approach to synthesizing molecules that may be useful in various applications including photovoltaic devices, sensors, and electrodes (e.g., for electrocatalysis).