Chemical Modification for CNT Sorting

Separation of SWNTs based on chirality and diameter with surfactants has also been evidenced by density-gradient ultracentrifugation [86]. Finally, a recent study has demonstrated the separation of semiconducting nanotubes from metallic ones by chemical interaction of the former with attached amine-terminated silane molecules assembled on a silicon wafer. In a separate experiment, metallic nanotubes were also 

CNTs can be easily doped by noncovalent means via molecular adsorption, an aspect that has been considerably exploited to develop ultrasensitive field effect transistor sensors [88-91]. However, substitutional doping with B and N to confer p and n character to the CNTs has also been carried out [92]. Such doped systems can be more susceptible to react with donors or acceptors molecules (depending on the doping) allowing the chemically reactivity to increase. 

Intercalation of species into the CNT structure has also been performed. For instance, the intercalation of lithium in CNTs [93,94] is one attractive topic due to the potential applications in electrochemical energy storage in lithium batteries. Edge-plane defects turn out to be very important for such processes [95]. 

Carbon nanotubes inevitably contain defects, whose extent depends on the fabrication method but also on the CNT post-treatments. As already seen, oxidizing treatments, such as acid, plasma or electrochemical, can introduce defects that play an important role in the electrochemical performance of CNT electrodes. For instance, Collins and coworkers have published an interesting way to introduce very controlled functionalization points or defects on individual SWNTs by electrochemical means [96]. Other methodologies to introduce artificial defects comprise argon, hydrogen and electron irradiation. Under this context, a number of recent works have appeared with the goal of tailoring the electrochemical behavior of CNT surfaces by the controlled introduction of defects [97, 98]. 

---