Rational functionalization of carbon nanotubes leading to electrochemical devices with striking applications

As one-dimensional carbon nancostructures, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a member of the carbon family but they possess very different structural and electronic properties from other kinds of carbon materials frequently used in electrochemistry, such as glassy carbon, graphite, and diamond. Although the past decade has witnessed rapid and substantial progress in both the fundamental understanding of CNT-oriented electro-chemistry and the development of various kinds of electrochemical devices with carbon nanotubes, the increasing demand from both academia and industry requires CNT-based electrochemical devices with vastly improved properties, such as good reliability and durability, and high performance. As we outline here, the smart functionalization of CNTs and effective methods for the preparation of devices would pave the way to CNT-based electronic devices with striking applications.