A linker-controlled strategy has been demonstrated to synthesize polymeric photocatalysts for efficient H2 evolution by UV-Vis-IR with benchmark quantum yields.
Since the discovery of buckminsterfullerene over 30 years ago, sp 2 -hybridised carbon nanomaterials (including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene) have stimulated new science and technology across a huge range of fields. Despite the impressive intrinsic properties, challenges in processing and chemical modification continue to hinder applications. Charged carbon nanomaterials (CCNs), formed via the reduction or oxidation of these carbon nanomaterials, facilitate dissolution, purification, separation, chemical modification, and assembly. This approach provides a compelling alternative to traditional damaging and restrictive liquid phase exfoliation routes. The broad chemistry of CCNs not only provides a versatile and potent means to modify the properties of the parent nanomaterial but also raises interesting scientific issues. This review focuses on the fundamental structural forms: buckminsterfullerene, single-walled carbon nanotubes, and single-layer graphene, describing the generation of their respective charged nanocarbon species, their interactions with solvents, chemical reactivity, specific (opto)electronic properties, and emerging applications.
CONTENTS
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are a fundamental family of distinct molecules, each bearing the possibility of different reactivities due to their intrinsically distinct chemical properties. SWNT syntheses generate a heterogeneous mixture of species with varying electronic character, lengths, diameters and helicities, (n,m), as well as other amorphous, graphitic and metal catalyst impurities. In recent years, selective syntheses and post-synthetic separation strategies have advanced, driven by the requirement for pure SWNTs displaying particular features. Covalent surface modifications are widely-used to adapt SWNTs for specific applications with modified solubility, compatibility and specific functionalities. In many cases, such reactions have been found to be selective, illuminating the fundamentally distinct chemistry of each (n,m) species. This differential reactivity has found immediate utility in facilitating the sorting of nanotubes according to specific diameter, electronic properties and, most importantly, helicity. In this tutorial review, we discuss a wide range of selective reactions, the mechanisms that are thought to govern selectivity, and the challenges of separating, characterising and regenerating the modified SWNTs.
activity is highly dependent on the electronic structure of the photocatalyst, it is crucial to adjust the bandgap in order to utilize the highest possible proportion of visible photons and achieve the target of 10% solar to fuel conversion efficiency. [2] Moreover, bandgap tunable semiconductors are especially useful in the construction of a Z-scheme for water splitting, which is considered to be a more promising approach to solar H 2 production than the single photocatalyst-based water splitting system. [3][4][5][6][7][8] A Z-Scheme requires an appropriate match of redox potentials between two photocatalysts and two mediators. So far, the strate-
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