Single-walled carbon nanotube carboxylic acid-functionalized SWNTs

In general, functionalization reactions of SWNTs are very slow and take several days to proceed. In this respect, microwave irradiation seems to be a potentially powerful tool to functionalize SWNTs but only a few such reactions have been described to date. One example of the application of microwaves was described by Della Negra et al. [88]. Soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes were synthesized by grafting poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains on to SWNTs. Use of microwave irradiation enhanced reaction rates in comparison with similar syntheses using conventional heating. An amidation reaction has also been performed, in two steps, under microwave irradiation conditions (Scheme 21.23) [89]. Amide-SWNT derivative 68 was synthesized by reaction of 2,6-dinitroaniline and the carboxylic acid-... 

Another nanofiller type that has been reported to form PAs nanocomposites by in-situ intercalation are CNTs. Gao et al. [64] prepared PA 6-single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by in-situ polymerizing caprolactam in the presence of carboxylic acid-functionalized S WNTs (Figure 2.11). They reported an efficient dispersion of the nanofiller in the monomer and a subsequent grafting of the PA 6 chains to the CNTs, through a condensation reaction between the SWNTs carboxyl groups... 

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