Solvent-free functionalization of fullerene C₆₀ and pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes with aromatic amines

Highlights: • Pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with aromatic amines. • The amines add onto nanotube defects, likewise they add onto fullerene C₆₀. • The addition takes place at elevated temperature and without organic solvents. • Functionalized nanotubes were characterized by a number of instrumental techniques. - Abstract: We employed a direct one-step solvent-free covalent functionalization of solid fullerene C₆₀ and pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with aromatic amines 1-aminopyrene (AP), 2-aminofluorene (AF) and 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (DAN). The reactions were carried out under moderate vacuum, in a wide temperature range of 180–250 °C, during relatively short time of about 2 h. To confirm successful amine attachment, a large number of analytical techniques were used (depending on the nanomaterial functionalized) such as Fourier transform infrared, Raman, X-ray photoelectron, ¹³C cross-polarization magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, temperature-programmed desorption with mass spectrometric detection, as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The nucleophilic addition of the aromatic amines to C₆₀ molecule was studied theoretically by using density functional theory (PBE GGA functional with Grimme dispersion correction in conjunction with the DNP basis set). In the case of crystalline C₆₀, the solvent-free technique has a limited applicability due to poor diffusion of vaporous aromatic amines into the bulk. Nevertheless, the approach proposed allows for a facile preparation of aromatic amine-functionalized pristine MWCNTs without contamination with other chemical reagents, detergents and solvents, which is especially important for a vast variety of nanotube applications spanning from nanoelectronics to nanomedicine