Electrochemical functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes in large quantities at a room-temperature ionic liquid supported three-dimensional network electrode

Electrochemical functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was one of selective, clean, and nondestructive chemical methods. But in previous studies it met difficulties in homogeneous electrografting of SWNTs in large quantities because the reaction was often localized on a very thin film (ca. 2 microm). In this report, a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) supported three-dimensional network SWNT electrode was first utilized to break through this barrier. In this work, large quantities of SWNTs were considerably untangled in RTILs so as to greatly increase the effective area of the electrode. N-succinimidyl acrylate (NSA), as a model monomer, was dissolved in the supporting RTILs and was electrografted onto SWNTs (SWNTs-poly-NSA). As an application example, glucose oxidase was directly covalently anchored on the SWNTs-poly-NSA assembly, and the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose in this assembly was investigated. RTILs opened a new path in electrochemical functionalization of SWNTs.