CHEMISTRY OF VERTICALLY-ALIGNED CARBON NANOTUBES

Vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs) possess many advantages for a wide range of device-related applications. In order to meet specific requirements demanded by particular applications (e.g. biocompatibility for nanotube biosensors), surface functionalization of VA-CNTs is essential. Various interesting physical and chemical approaches have recently been developed for functionalization of the constituent carbon nanotubes in VA-CNT arrays while largely retaining their alignment. In this Chapter, we summarize our recent studies on functionalization of VA-CNTs.