Residual Metal Impurity Aids Facile In Situ Electrochemical Surface Derivatization of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract Residual metal impurities were exploited as reactants in the functionalization of the surface of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) with nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) by simple electrochemical cycling in ferricyanide solutions. This facile in situ electrochemical modification process provides intimate contact between NiHCF and SWCNTs that improves the stability of the redox property and reactivity of NiHCF. The characteristic redox behavior of NiHCF on SWCNT surfaces can be used as an electrochemical probe to access qualitative and quantitative information on unknown electroactive metal impurities in SWCNTs. Significantly, the NiHCF‐modified SWCNTs exhibit pseudocapacitive behavior, and the calculated specific capacitances are 710 and 36 F g −1 for NiHCF‐SWCNTs and SWCNTs respectively. Furthermore, NiHCF‐SWCNTs were transformed into Ni(OH) 2 /SWCNTs and used for enzymeless glucose oxidation.