This invention is directed to making chemical derivatives of carbon nanotubes and to uses for the derivatized nanotubes, including making arrays as a basis for synthesis of
carbon fibers. In one embodiment, this invention also provides a method for preparing single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents attached to the side wall of the
nanotube by reacting single wall carbon nanotubes with
fluorine gas and recovering
fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes, then reacting
fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes with a
nucleophile. Some of the fluorine substituents are replaced by
nucleophilic substitution. If desired, the remaining fluorine can be completely or partially eliminated to produce single wall carbon nanotubes having substituents attached to the side wall of the
nanotube. The substituents will, of course, be dependent on the
nucleophile, and preferred nucleophiles include
alkyl lithium species such as methyl
lithium. Alternatively, fluorine may be fully or partially removed from fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes by reacting the fluorine derivatized carbon nanotubes with various amounts of hydrazine, substituted hydrazine or
alkyl amine. The present invention also provides seed materials for growth of single wall carbon nanotubes comprising a plurality of single wall carbon nanotubes or short tubular molecules having a catalyst precursor
moiety covalently bound or physisorbed on the outer surface of the sidewall to provide the optimum
metal cluster size under conditions that result in migration of the
metal moiety to the tube end.