Shaping carbon nanotubes with chemistry

As-grown, string-shaped single-walled carbon nanotubes were transformed into other shapes by applications of organic chemistry. Cutting carbon nanotubes in strong acids affords oxygen-containing groups at both ends of the open tubes. These groups were utilized for ring-closure reactions in very dilute conditions. Atomic force microscopy reveals ring-shaped nanotubes with a mean diameter of 540 nm as products. Also, the end groups were used to react with the surface amine groups of PAMAM dendrimer. It gave star-shaped structures in which straight nanotubes are radiating from dendrimer centers. These experiments clearly demonstrate that covalent chemistry is useful for construction of super-structured carbon nanotubes.