ABSTRACT
In nanocarbon hybrids, the nanocarbon part is used as an active substrate, while the second component is typically deposited on the nanocarbon surface in a form of thin layers or nanoparticles. In order to widen the application range of the nanocarbon materials, they have been further combined with other functional components, leading to the appearance of two new classes of multifunctional materials: nanocarbon composites and nanocarbon hybrids. The advantage of covalent functionalization in hybrids is the strong interaction between the two components, which can withstand chemical and mechanical stress. In the in situ method, the hybridizing component is deposited directly on the nanocarbon surface using molecular precursors, such as metal salts or metal—organic compounds. Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can exhibit either a metallic or semiconducting band structure depending on their chirality. When an electric field gradient is applied, metallic SWCNTs deposit on the microelectrode array, while semiconducting SWCNTs remain in the solution.
