Current Organic Chemistry - Volume 20, Issue 6, 2016

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) chemistry is under constant evolution, as a consequence of the deep interest of the scientific community in finding new applications for these versatile materials. New and old synthetic protocols are used for improving the control of the functionalization degree of the final materials and for offering to scientists the possibility to fine-tune their final properties. In this Review, we focus the attention on radical reactions, a class of protocols characterized by small number of steps, different degrees of functionalization and enhanced solubility of the final modified CNTs, in the desired environment. The most well-known protocols are analysed providing some relevant examples appeared in the literature in the last years, monitoring the new application fields and giving insights into their mechanism in order to explain why these protocols are considered standard procedures for a wide number of scientific groups.

We review the fundamental properties and main applications of organic derivatives and complexes of fullerenes in the solid-state form. We address in particular the structural properties, in terms of crystal structure, polymorphism, orientational transitions and morphology, and the electronic structure and derived properties, such as chemical activity, electrical conduction mechanisms, optical properties, heat conduction and magnetism. The last two sections of the review focus on the solid-state optoelectronic and electrochemical applications of fullerene derivatives, which range from photovoltaic cells to field-effect transistors and photodetectors on one hand, to electron- beam resists, electrolytes and energy storage on the other.

This mini review describes the synthesis and properties of carbon nanostructures containing organic-inorganic cage-like polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoparticles. The physical and chemical functionalization of carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes with POSS towards the development of novel hybrid nanostructures is described in detail. Special emphasis is given to the potential impact of these hybrid nanostructures on various technological applications.

Surface interactions of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene are presented in this review. This work is intended to complement previous reviews of graphene oxide chemistry as well as detail the newest efforts in this growing field. GO holds great promise as both a starting material for 2-D materials and as a platform for chemical reactions, and in both cases potential applications for these materials continue to increase. This work seeks to highlight reactions that promote attachment of different moieties and that “tune” the surface energies of GO that may enhance local interactions.

This review deals with the promising newest carbon-based nanomaterial; Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs). CQDs demonstrate optoelectronic properties comparable to conventional inorganic semiconductors, however are environmental friendly and benign. They possess complicated structures, particle sizes up to 10 nm and upon surface passivation and/or functionalization their optoelectronic properties are critically improved and tuned. Although there are a few recent reviews on this topic, the majority of them emphasize on CQDs applications or even the synthetic procedures followed to acquire CQDs. In contrary, this review refers in brief to the aforementioned and focuses on the surface passivation and functionalization routes and therefore the functional groups and heteroatoms used for the development of high quality CQDs. Introduction and doping with appropriate heteroatoms is the key point to tailor made features of CQDs and thus organic chemistry provides the vital background for the essential functionalizations.

Nanocatalysis is swiftly mounting in various catalyzed organic reactions. Nowadays a wide variety of nano sized species such as nanoparticles or nanocomposites are effectively employed as catalyst. Conventionally noble metals such as Pt, Pd, Rh and Au are used in various heterogeneous catalytic reductions in organic chemistry. Heterogeneous hydrogenation catalysis is highly desirable since in this stage the important enantio-differentiating step is happening at the metal surface. In this review, we try to underscore the recent development of using the traditional noble metals in their nano forms as nanocatalysts in the reduction of nitroarenes such as 4-nitrophenol (4- NP) and related compounds to their corresponding amino derivatives.