Defect-mediated functionalization of carbon nanotubes as a route to design single-site basic heterogeneous catalysts for biomass conversion

Target active sites were directly grafted onto structural defects of carbon nanotubes (see picture) by electrophilic attack. This synthetic route is faster and more efficient than other approaches, and it allows a single-site design of carbon nanotube-based heterogeneous catalysts. The potential of such catalysts is tremendous for liquid-phase biomass conversion reactions