The first synthesis of a conjugated hybrid of C60–fullerene and a single-wall carbon nanotube Original Research Article

The first synthesis of a conjugated hybrid of C60–fullerene and a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) is reported. The new nanohybrid material has been prepared by amidation of acid functionalized SWCNTs by an amine functionalized-fullerene derivative. The formation of this new nanomaterial was demonstrated by high resolution TEM, attenuated total reflectance/FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Acid hydrolysis of the new material produced carboxylic-SWCNTs and the recovery of the aminofullerene derivative as complementary evidence of their covalent link. This new SWCNT–fullerene material may be of interest in optoelectronic applications.