Homogeneous chemical derivatisation of carbon particles: a novel method for funtionalising carbon surfaces.

The homogeneous reduction of diazonium salts by hypophosphorous acid, provides an easy methodology for the derivatisation of carbon powder. The resulting derivatised carbon was characterised electrochemically showing the behaviour expected of a surface bound species. This procedure provides an easy, inexpensive methodology for functionalising carbon which might find applications in ion-exchange resins or combinatorial chemistry.