Résumé
Industrial, CVD multi-walled carbon nanotubes are shown to form true solutions by reduction with alkali metals and subsequent exposure to polar solvents such as DMSO Addition of an electrophile such as bromo-decanoic acid allows functionalization of the tubes The whole process, dissolution and functionalization includes no harsh treatment such as acid treatment and/or sonication and allows to saturate the outer surface of the MWCNTs with functional groups Comparison is made with previous work on single walled carbon nanotubes (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved