TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The range of the quantity of sidewall carbon atoms that have a primary ozonide attached has a lower boundary of approximately 5%, 8%, 10%, or 12%; or an upper boundary of approximately 25%, 20% or 16%, or approximately 10%, 12%, or 15%. The ozone/oxygen mixture comprises 2-20 wt.% ozone. The hydrogen peroxide is in an aqueous solution comprising 30-70 wt.% hydrogen peroxide. The amount by weight of the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution to the amount by weight of the carbon nanotube dispersion is in a ratio of 1:50-1:5. The amount by weight of the borohydride salt or lithium aluminum hydride to the amount by weight of the carbon nanotube dispersion is in a ratio of 2:1-50:1. The nanotube comprises less than 2 or less than 1.5 wt.% iron less than 1.25 wt.% iron, less than 0.5 wt.% iron, or less than 0.1 wt.% iron.Preferred Component: The carbon atoms on the sidewall of the nanotube have an attached oxygen moiety. The ozone/oxygen mixture is in the solution phase or in the gas phase. The cleaving agent is a salt of borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride. The salt of borohydride is sodium borohydride, potassium borohydride, or lithium borohydride.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The sidewall functionalized carbon nanotubes are quenched with organic solvents or acids. The ozonized carbon nanotubes are contacted with a cleaving agent from organic peroxide, inorganic peroxide, silver oxide, or zinc dust (preferably hydrogen peroxide) to form sidewall-functionalized carbon nanotubes. The hydrogen peroxide solution in contact with the carbon nanotube dispersion is heated to -60 to 95degreesC, preferably 65-75degreesC. The oxygen moieties are converted to other functional moieties, e.g. amides, thiols, acid halides, anhydrides, lactams, imides, lactones, and/or nitrites. The functionalized carbon nanotubes are contacted with acid.Preferred Components: The attached oxygen moieties comprise a high degree of carboxylic and/or esteric moieties or a high degree of ketonic and/or aldehydic moieties. The cleaving agent is dimethyl sulfide, piperidine, triethylamine, 3,3'-thiodipropionic acid or its salt, tetraethylammonium borohydride, tetrabutylammonium borohydride, or sodium triacetoxyborohydride.Preferred Composition: At least 40%, at least 50%, or at least 60% of the oxygen moieties are carboxylic and/or esteric moieties or ketonic and/or aldehydic moieties. The amount by weight of the cleaving agent to the amount by weight of the carbon nanotube dispersion is in a ratio 10:1-100:1.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The range of the quantity of sidewall carbon atoms that have a primary ozonide attached has a lower boundary of approximately 5%, 8%, 10%, or 12%; or an upper boundary of approximately 25%, 20% or 16%, or approximately 10%, 12%, or 15%. The ozone/oxygen mixture comprises 2-20 wt.% ozone. The hydrogen peroxide is in an aqueous solution comprising 30-70 wt.% hydrogen peroxide. The amount by weight of the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution to the amount by weight of the carbon nanotube dispersion is in a ratio of 1:50-1:5. The amount by weight of the borohydride salt or lithium aluminum hydride to the amount by weight of the carbon nanotube dispersion is in a ratio of 2:1-50:1. The nanotube comprises less than 2 or less than 1.5 wt.% iron less than 1.25 wt.% iron, less than 0.5 wt.% iron, or less than 0.1 wt.% iron.Preferred Component: The carbon atoms on the sidewall of the nanotube have an attached oxygen moiety. The ozone/oxygen mixture is in the solution phase or in the gas phase. The cleaving agent is a salt of borohydride or lithium aluminum hydride. The salt of borohydride is sodium borohydride, potassium borohydride, or lithium borohydride. EXAMPLE - A carbon nanotube was dispersed in 150 ml methanol. The mixture was stirred during ozonolysis at -78degreesC. It was flushed with oxygen at the end of the ozonolysis. Upon addition of approximately 10 ml of 50% hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution, the sample was heated to 70degreesC and refluxed for 4 hours. The hydrogen peroxide-cleaved tubes were filtered and washed with a large excess of methanol.