| Abstract
| - Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were functionalized in a three-step procedure: a radical reactionleading to the introduction of p-methoxyphenyl groups, deprotection of the methoxy functions to generatefree alcohol groups, and esterification to install a double bond for further polymerization. Visual dispersiontests in several solvents and thermal gravimetric analysis were used in conjunction with Raman spectroscopyto follow the three functionalization steps. Results indicated that the chemical procedure led to afunctionalization yield as low as one grafted function per 110 carbon atoms and that the SWNTs were nothomogeneously functionalized. Confocal Raman spectroscopy and optical microscopy observations, basedon image analysis, were combined to objectively describe the state of aggregation of semiconducting SWNTsthrough calculation of an optical parameter. This parameter was found to be strongly correlated to somefeatures of the Raman phonon modes, revealing the interplay between functionalization and aggregation effects.It is concluded that, to compare raw and functionalized SWNTs using confocal Raman spectroscopy, samplesshould be examined at similar states of aggregation.
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