Carboxylated and decarboxylated nanotubes studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) of the conic and cylindrical structure were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the initial state and after carboxylation and decarboxylation reactions. The O=C - O and C - O groups were revealed on the surface of the chemically modified samples. It was found that both the carboxylated and decarboxylated cylindrical CNTs contain a smaller amount of oxygen than the corresponding conic CNTs apparently due to differences in their structures. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.