Page "Carbon nanotube" Paragraph 27

Double-walled carbon nanotubes ( DWNT ) form a special class of nanotubes because their morphology and properties are similar to those of SWNT but their resistance to chemicals is significantly improved.

This is especially important when functionalization is required ( this means grafting of chemical functions at the surface of the nanotubes ) to add new properties to the CNT.

In the case of SWNT, covalent functionalization will break some C = C double bonds, leaving " holes " in the structure on the nanotube and, thus, modifying both its mechanical and electrical properties.

In the case of DWNT, only the outer wall is modified.

DWNT synthesis on the gram-scale was first proposed in 2003 by the CCVD technique, from the selective reduction of oxide solutions in methane and hydrogen.