Noncovalent assembly of carbon nanotube-inorganic hybrids

The combination of carbon nanotubes with inorganic nanostructures is believed to be a powerful tool for constructing novel organic-inorganic hybrid architectures with desirable functionalities and applications in many fields ranging from energy storage and conversion, to catalysis, sensing, and medical diagnosis and treatment. Due to the chemically inert graphitic surface of the carbon nanotube, different assembly protocols for building functional carbon nanotube-inorganic hybrids, including covalent and noncovalent routes, have been designed and demonstrated. A better understanding of the chemistry associated with the hybrid assembly holds a key to rational manipulation of the hybrid properties. This critical review discusses nondestructive noncovalent assembly methodologies for constructing diverse carbon nanotube-inorganic hybrid materials and provides the latest advances in this field. Particular focus is given to the noncovalent assembly via functional linking molecules which play pivotal roles in the control of morphology, composition, structure, interface, and thus properties of the hybrid materials.