Abstract:
Various properties of tubule-end functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes
(SWNTs) have been studied using various computational modeling and simulation
techniques. Geometry and electronic properties of functionalized SWNTs were
studied using the semi-empirical method based on AM1 Hamiltonian. The interaction
between model SWNTs and water molecules was investigated using first principles
density functional theory calculation and molecular dynamics simulation. The
hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amide functional groups were chemically adsorbed at the
open-end of the tubes. The results show that the C-C bond-length values of all tubes
close to the C-C bond lengths values of 1.42 Å of perfect tube. Tip functionalization
alters the HOMO, LUMO, and the energy gap of the pristine tube but the effects seem
to rapidly decrease as the tubule gets longer. The delocalized states are modified from
HOMO-1 to HOMO-2 and LUMO+1 to LUMO+2. The charge transfer on the tube is
dependent on functional groups. The orientation of water interacting with all of model
tubes is rather similar. The water molecules prefer to occupy around the tip of tubes
than the center of tube. The hydrophilic behavior of functionalized SWNT is
improved in comparison to the pristine tube