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The single walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were effectively functionalized through grafting with chitosan (CTS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Prior to grafting reaction, the carboxylated SWNCTs (SWNCTs-COOH) were obtained by treating pristine CNTs with a mixture of 3:1 (v/v) H(2)SO(4) and HNO(3), and the successive treatment of SWNCTs-COOH with SOCl(2) yielded the acylated CNTs (CNTs-COCl). The functionalized derivatives of CNTs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Both CTS and PMMA grafted CNTs showed better dispersability in acetic acid and tetrahydrofuran, in addition to higher stability in solution., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Herein we report an innovative approach using ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride) mediated auto-templating assembly of CaCO(3) and chitosan to produce well-defined hollow inorganic-organic nanoboxes and nanoframes. By varying experimental conditions, size and shell-thicknesses of hollow nanostructures can be adjusted from 200 to 400 nm and 15 to 75 nm, respectively.

Abstract: Acid functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes were covalently grafted to chitosan by first reacting the oxidized carbon nanotubes with thionyl chloride to form acyl-chlorinated carbon nanotubes which are subsequently dispersed in chitosan and covalently grated to form composite material, CNT–chitosan, 1, which was washed several times to remove un-reacted materials. This composite has been characterized by FTIR, 13C NMR, TGA, SEM and TEM and has been shown to exhibit enhanced thermal stability. The reaction of 1, with poly lactic acid has also been accomplished to yield CNTchitosan–g-poly(LA), 2 and fully characterized by the above techniques. Results showed covalent attachment of chitosan and chitosan–poly lactic acid to the carbon nanotubes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]