Covalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes with anthracene by green chemical approach and their temperature dependent magnetic and electrical conductivity studies

• SWCNTs were functionalized using 2-aminoanthracene by green chemistry.
• Characterized by FTIR, Raman, XRD, SEM and TEM.
• Temperature dependent magnetization and conductivity were investigated.
• 300 fold increase in conductivity was observed for Ant-f-SWCNTs.
• Semiconductor behaviour was observed in the case of Ant-f-SWCNTs.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were covalently functionalized with anthracene in molten urea by a green chemical approach. The anthracene functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (Ant-f-SWCNTs) were examined along with SWCNTs, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, powder X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. The observations revealed the functionalization of SWCNTs by anthracene. The temperature dependent magnetization (300–5 K) and electrical resistivity were also measured for both SWCNTs and Ant-f-SWCNTs. The electrical resistivity of Ant-f-SWCNTs at 300 K was found to be 1.27 KΩm, which is much lower than 388.55 KΩm for pristine. This indicated a 300 fold increase in conductivity at room temperature for Ant-f-SWCNTs when compared to SWCNTs. The temperature dependence of the conductivity provided an indication of the semiconducting behaviour.