Carbon nanotubes decorated with terpyridine-ruthenium complexes

Polymer-functionalization of carbon nanotube by in situ conventional and controlled radical polymerizations

Functionalization of carbon nanotube (CNT) with polymers has drawn much attention due to its wide range of applications. Polymer-functionalized CNT could exhibit variety of properties, such as responsivity to environmental stimuli, ability of complexation with metal ions, increased dispersibility in different solvents, higher compatibility with polymer matrix, etc. Chemical and physical methods have been developed for the preparation of polymer-functionalized CNT. Polymer chains are chemically bonded to the CNT edge or surface in the chemical methods, which results in highly stable CNT/polymer composites. "Grafting to", "grafting from", and "grafting through" methods are the most common chemical methods for polymer-functionalization of CNT. In "grafting to" method, pre-fabricated polymer chains are coupled with the either functionalized or non-functionalized CNT. In "grafting from" and "grafting through" methods, CNT is functionalized by polymers simultaneously synthesized by in situ polymerization methods. Conventional free radical polymerization (FRP) and also controlled radical polymerization (CRP) are the most promising methods for in situ tethering of polymer brushes onto the surface of CNT due to their control over the grafting density, thickness, and functionality of the polymer brushes. The main focus of this review is on the synthesis of polymer-functionalized CNT via both the "grafting from" and "grafting through" methods on the basis of FRP and CRP routs, which is commonly known as in situ polymerizations. Finally, the most important challenges and applications of the in situ polymer grafting methods are discussed, which could be interesting for the future works.

The marriage of terpyridines and inorganic nanoparticles: synthetic aspects, characterization techniques, and potential applications

The utilization of supramolecular chemistry, i.e., metal-to-ligand coordination, in the field of nanotechnology is evaluated with respect to 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine, as tridentate metal binding site. Stabilization as well as directed self-assembly of nanometer-sized materials into ordered arrays are the most widely studied targets of current research. Moreover, energy- and/or electron-transfer processes are enabled when redox-active terpyridine complexes are bound to (semi)conducting species (e.g., fullerenes, polyoxometalates)-thus, applications in nanoelectronics and catalysis are currently arising from these hybrid materials. Progress made in these fields, resulting from the marriage of terpyridines (as well as their metal complexes) and nanostructures, is summarized in this Review Article.