Reaction Mechanisms for Graphene and Carbon Nanotube Fluorination

Via density functional theory calculations, we explore the process of graphene and carbon nanotube fluorination. Contrary to graphene, HF-catalyzed carbon nanotube fluorination adds fluorine pairs at (1,4) spacing, naturally leading to a self-organized C4F coverage, which can subsequently rearrange into dense axial C2F lines by fluorine diffusion upon solubilization or heat treatment. Controlling the fluorination process and subsequent nanotube processing results in fluorinated material types with unexplored electronic and chemical properties.