Surface properties of fluorinated single-walled carbon nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were fluorinated at several different temperatures. The change of atomic and electronic structures of fluorinated SWCNTs was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrical resistivity measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The amount of doped fluorine increases with increasing doping temperature, and the fluorine atoms are covalently attached to the side-wall of the SWCNTs. From Raman spectra and HRTEM study, the strong fluorination on the SWCNTs leads to the breaking of carbon–carbon bonds and the disintegration of tube structure. Several intermediate phases of fluorinated SWCNTs are observed during e-beam irradiation in HRTEM.