title: Aziridine-Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes: Robust and Versatile Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Knoevenagel Condensation.
abstract: This paper describes the exohedral N-decoration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with NH-aziridine groups via [2 + 1] cycloaddition of a tert-butyl-oxycarbonyl nitrene followed by controlled thermal decomposition of the cyclization product. The chemical grafting with N-containing groups deeply modifies the properties of the starting MWCNTs, generating new surface microenvironments with specific base (Brønsted) and electronic properties. Both of these features translate into a highly versatile single-phase heterogeneous catalyst (MW@NAz) with remarkable chemical and electrochemical performance. Its surface base character promotes the Knoevenagel condensation with activity superior to that of related state of the art N-doped and N-decorated carbon nanomaterials; the N-induced electronic surface redistribution drives the generation of high-energy surface "C" sites suitable for O2activation and its subsequent electrochemical reduction (ORR).
authors: Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM , Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.
authors: Giulia
authors: G
authors: Tuci
authors: Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM , Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.
authors: Lapo
authors: L
authors: Luconi
authors: Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM , Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Rossin
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence , 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Berretti
authors: Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Energie, l'Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), UMR 7515 CNRS-Université de Strasbourg , 67087 Strasbourg, France.
authors: Housseinou
authors: H
authors: Ba
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence , 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Innocenti
authors: Kazan Federal University , Department of Chemistry, 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation.
authors: Dmitry
authors: D
authors: Yakhvarov
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Florence , 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.|National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology-INSTM , 50100 Florence, Italy.
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Caporali
authors: Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l'Energie, l'Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), UMR 7515 CNRS-Université de Strasbourg , 67087 Strasbourg, France.
authors: Cuong
authors: C
authors: Pham-Huu
authors: Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM , Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.|Kazan Federal University , Department of Chemistry, 420008 Kazan, Russian Federation.
authors: Giuliano
authors: G
authors: Giambastiani
keywords: Knoevenagel condensation; N-decoration; chemical functionalization; electrocatalysis; multiwalled carbon nanotubes; oxygen reduction reaction