Graphene functionalizing functional groups

Although the electrical properties of GO are significantly inferior to pristine graphene, the presence of the functional groups on the flakes can be a considerable advantage when considering composites [6]. 

One of the approaches to attach a biomolecule to CNTs is to introduce a functional group that can noncovalently bind the graphene motif via n-n stacking. As in the case of polymers discussed previously, pyrene moieties proved to be very effective and they are in most cases the anchor group of choice [72]. 

FIGURE 5.3 Examples of nitrogen-containing surface functional groups in carbons (1) pyridine-type N, (2) pyrrole-type N, (3) basal-plane N (edge), (4) amine-type N, (5) substitutional N, and (6) quaternary N. (The top layer shown represents the graphene edge.)... 

A very popular recent research topic has been the functionalization of curved graphenes, in fullerenes and especially in CNTs [47-50], Not only surface functional groups but also organic compounds and biomaterials have been used [49,51] in the latter case, a more appropriate term is grafting, and the SCI identified 26 papers explicitly devoted to this procedure for nanotubes, all of them published in the last 3 years. The following two issues—one more fundamental and the other more utilitarian— merit our attention here (i) Are only the graphene terminations (edges) functionalized, or is sidewall functionalization feasible as well (ii) Which procedures are of special interest for electrochemical applications ... 

---