Nitrogen doped single-walled carbon nanotubes has been prepared using the arc discharge method. The material contains in average more impurities like pristine (pure) carbon nanotube material produced with the same method. We have tested several purification methods like the oxidation in hot air. First tests have shown that nitrogen-doped nanotubes exhibit a higher reactivity and are therefore less inert towards oxidative purification methods used for carbon nanotubes. We want to present a new purification method. It is based on the oxidation of the carbon impurities, homogeneously dispersed in boiling tertrachloroethan under airflow. The purity of the sample was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Another part will present the characterization of chemically modified nitrogen-doped nanotubes after purification and first steps of the functionalisation of the hetero-nanotube material. Because of already existing model systems with hetero fullerenes, we have chosen a `Mannich'-like reaction for the modification of nitrogen-doped nanotubes.
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