Showing papers on "Fullerene published in 2021"

Non-fullerene acceptors with hetero-dihalogenated terminals induce significant difference in single crystallography and enable binary organic solar cells with 17.5% efficiency

Abstract: Despite dihalogenation of terminals is an effective strategy to achieve efficient nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs)-based organic solar cells (OSCs), hetero-dihalogenated terminals are quite difficult to obtain. Here, we firstly synthesized two new hetero-dihalogenated terminals (FCl-IC and FBr-IC) with a pair of fluorine/chlorine or fluorine/bromine at one terminal and three NFAs (Y-BO-FCl, Y-BO-FBr, and Y-BO-ClBr) with three hetero-dihalogenated terminals (FCl-IC, FBr-IC, and ClBr-IC) in a general process for OSCs, respectively. Y-BO-FCl neat film presents slightly lower energy level in comparison with those of Y-BO-FBr and Y-BO-ClBr. We, for the first time, obtained the single crystals of hetero-dihalogenated NFAs. From Y-BO-ClBr single crystal to fluorinated acceptor single crystals, the crystal systems and the intermolecular packing motifs have been significantly improved. The crystallographic and theoretical analysis indicate that Y-BO-FCl exhibits the most planar molecular geometry, the smallest intermolecular packing distance and the largest π−π electronic coupling among these acceptors. Moreover, PM6:Y-BO-FCl blend films present more order face-on orientation crystallinity, more suitable fiber-like phase separation, higher and more balanced charge mobility, weaker charge recombination in comparison with those of PM6:Y-BO-FBr and PM6:Y-BO-ClBr. As a result, up to remarkable PCE of 17.52% with enhanced FF of ca. 78% was achieved in binary Y-BO-FCl:PM6 devices compared to that of PM6:Y-BO-FBr (16.47%) and PM6:Y-BO-ClBr (13.61%), which is the highest efficiency for the hetero-halogenated NFAs-based OSCs. Our investigations demonstrate that fluorine/chlorine hetero-dihalogenated terminal is a new and effective synergistic strategy to induce significant difference in single crystallography and achieve high-performance hetero-halogenated NFAs-based OSCs.

Ultrahard bulk amorphous carbon from collapsed fullerene

Abstract: Amorphous materials inherit short- and medium-range order from the corresponding crystal and thus preserve some of its properties while still exhibiting novel properties1,2. Due to its important applications in technology, amorphous carbon with sp2 or mixed sp2–sp3 hybridization has been explored and prepared3,4, but synthesis of bulk amorphous carbon with sp3 concentration close to 100% remains a challenge. Such materials inherit the short-/medium-range order of diamond and should also inherit its superior properties5. Here, we successfully synthesized millimetre-sized samples—with volumes 103–104 times as large as produced in earlier studies—of transparent, nearly pure sp3 amorphous carbon by heating fullerenes at pressures close to the cage collapse boundary. The material synthesized consists of many randomly oriented clusters with diamond-like short-/medium-range order and possesses the highest hardness (101.9 ± 2.3 GPa), elastic modulus (1,182 ± 40 GPa) and thermal conductivity (26.0 ± 1.3 W m−1 K−1) observed in any known amorphous material. It also exhibits optical bandgaps tunable from 1.85 eV to 2.79 eV. These discoveries contribute to our knowledge about advanced amorphous materials and the synthesis of bulk amorphous materials by high-pressure and high-temperature techniques and may enable new applications for amorphous solids. Preparing amorphous phases of carbon with mostly sp3 bonding in bulk is challenging, but macroscopic samples that are nearly pure sp3 are synthesized here by heating fullerenes at high pressure.

Metastability of Diamond Ramp-Compressed to 2 terapascals

Abstract: Carbon is the fourth-most prevalent element in the Universe and essential for all known life. In the elemental form it is found in multiple allotropes, including graphite, diamond and fullerenes, and it has long been predicted that even more structures can exist at pressures greater than those at Earth’s core1–3. Several phases have been predicted to exist in the multi-terapascal regime, which is important for accurate modelling of the interiors of carbon-rich exoplanets4,5. By compressing solid carbon to 2 terapascals (20 million atmospheres; more than five times the pressure at Earth’s core) using ramp-shaped laser pulses and simultaneously measuring nanosecond-duration time-resolved X-ray diffraction, we found that solid carbon retains the diamond structure far beyond its regime of predicted stability. The results confirm predictions that the strength of the tetrahedral molecular orbital bonds in diamond persists under enormous pressure, resulting in large energy barriers that hinder conversion to more-stable high-pressure allotropes1,2, just as graphite formation from metastable diamond is kinetically hindered at atmospheric pressure. This work nearly doubles the highest pressure at which X-ray diffraction has been recorded on any material. X-ray diffraction measurements of solid carbon compressed to pressures of about two terapascals (approximately twenty million atmospheres) find that carbon retains a diamond structure even under these extreme conditions.

Fullerenes as Key Components for Low-Dimensional (Photo)electrocatalytic Nanohybrid Materials

Abstract: An emerging class of heterostructures with unprecedented (photo)electrocatalytic behavior, involving the combination of fullerenes and low-dimensional (LD) nanohybrids, is currently expanding the field of energy materials. The unique physical and chemical properties of fullerenes have offered new opportunities to tailor both the electronic structures and the catalytic activities of the nanohybrid structures. Here, we comprehensively review the synthetic approaches to prepare fullerene-based hybrids with LD (0D, 1D, and 2D) materials in addition to their resulting structural and catalytic properties. Recent advances in the design of fullerene-based LD nanomaterials for (photo)electrocatalytic applications are emphasized. The fundamental relationship between the electronic structures and the catalytic functions of the heterostructures, including the role of the fullerenes, is addressed to provide an in-depth understanding of these emerging materials at the molecular level.

A Self-Assembled Palladium(II) Barrel for Binding of Fullerenes and Photosensitization Ability of the Fullerene-Encapsulated Barrel.

Abstract: Fullerene extracts obtained from fullerene soot lack their real application due to their poor solubility in common solvents and difficulty in purification. Encapsulation of these extracts in a suitable host is an important approach to address these issues. We present a new Pd6 barrel (1), which is composed of three 1,4-dihydropyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole panels, clipped through six cis-PdII acceptors. Large open windows and cavity make it an efficient host for a large guest. Favorable interactions between the ligand and fullerene (C60 and C70 ) allows the barrel to encapsulate fullerene efficiently. Thorough investigation reveals that barrel 1 has a stronger binding affinity towards C70 over C60 , resulting in the predominant extraction of C70 from a mixture of the two. Finally, the fullerene encapsulated barrels C60 ⊂1 and C70 ⊂1 were found to be efficient for visible-light-induced singlet oxygen generation. Such preferential binding of C70 and photosensitizing ability of C60 ⊂1 and C70 ⊂1 are noteworthy.

Interface Optimization via Fullerene Blends Enables Open-Circuit Voltages of 1.35 V in CH3NH3Pb(I0.8Br0.2)3 Solar Cells

Abstract: Non-radiative recombination processes are the biggest hindrance to approaching the radiative limit of the open-circuit voltage for wide-band gap perovskite solar cells. In addition, to high bulk quality, good interfaces and good energy level alignment for majority carriers at charge transport layer-absorber interfaces are crucial to minimize non-radiative recombination pathways. By tuning the lowest-unoccupied molecular-orbital of electron transport layers via the use of different fullerenes and fullerene blends, we demonstrate open-circuit voltages exceeding 1.35 V in CH3NH3Pb(I0.8Br0.2)3 device. Further optimization of mobility in binary fullerenes electron transport layer can boost the power conversion efficiency as high as 18.6%. We note in particular that the Voc-fill factor product is > 1.085 V, which is the highest value reported for halide perovskites with this band gap.

Macaroni Fullerene Crystals-Derived Mesoporous Carbon Tubes as a High Rate Performance Supercapacitor Electrode Material

Abstract: Self-assembled macaroni fullerene C60 crystals (MFCs) of uniform shape and narrow size distribution are produced using the dynamic liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation method under ambient condi...

Low-temperature gas-phase formation of indene in the interstellar medium.

Abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are fundamental molecular building blocks of fullerenes and carbonaceous nanostructures in the interstellar medium and in combustion systems. However, an understanding of the formation of aromatic molecules carrying five-membered rings—the essential building block of nonplanar PAHs—is still in its infancy. Exploiting crossed molecular beam experiments augmented by electronic structure calculations and astrochemical modeling, we reveal an unusual pathway leading to the formation of indene (C9H8)—the prototype aromatic molecule with a five-membered ring—via a barrierless bimolecular reaction involving the simplest organic radical—methylidyne (CH)—and styrene (C6H5C2H3) through the hitherto elusive methylidyne addition–cyclization–aromatization (MACA) mechanism. Through extensive structural reorganization of the carbon backbone, the incorporation of a five-membered ring may eventually lead to three-dimensional PAHs such as corannulene (C20H10) along with fullerenes (C60, C70), thus offering a new concept on the low-temperature chemistry of carbon in our galaxy.

A New Class of Molecular Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution: Catalytic Activity of M3N@C2n (2n = 68, 78, and 80) Fullerenes.

Abstract: The electrocatalytic properties of some endohedral fullerenes for hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) were recently predicted by DFT calculations. Nonetheless, the experimental catalytic performance under realistic electrochemical environments of these 0D-nanomaterials have not been explored. Here, for the first time, we disclose the HER electrocatalytic behavior of seven M3N@2n (2n = 68, 78, and 80) fullerenes (Gd3N@Ih(7)-C80, Y3N@Ih(7)-C80, Lu3N@Ih(7)-C80, Sc3N@Ih(7)-C80, Sc3N@D5h(6)-C80, Sc3N@D3h(5)-C78, and Sc3N@D3(6140)-C68) using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. The non-IPR Sc3N@D3(6140)-C68 compound exhibited the best catalytic performance toward the generation of molecular hydrogen, exhibiting an onset potential of -38 mV vs RHE, a very high mass activity of 1.75 A·mg-1 at -0.4 V vs RHE, and an excellent electrochemical stability, retaining 96% of the initial current after 24 h. The superior performance was explained on the basis of the fused pentagon rings, which represent a new and promising HER catalytic motif.

Increasing Photostability of Inverted Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells by Using Fullerene Derivative Additives

Abstract: Organic solar cells (OSCs) recently achieved efficiencies of over 18% and are well on their way to practical applications, but still considerable stability issues need to be overcome. One major problem emerges from the electron transport material zinc oxide (ZnO), which is mainly used in the inverted device architecture and decomposes many high-performance nonfullerene acceptors due to its photocatalytic activity. In this work, we add three different fullerene derivatives-PC71BM, ICMA, and BisPCBM-to an inverted binary PBDB-TF:IT-4F system in order to suppress the photocatalytic degradation of IT-4F on ZnO via the radical scavenging abilities of the fullerenes. We demonstrate that the addition of 5% fullerene not only increases the performance of the binary PBDB-TF:IT-4F system but also significantly improves the device lifetime under UV illumination in an inert atmosphere. While the binary devices lose 20% of their initial efficiency after only 3 h, this time is increased fivefold for the most promising ternary devices with ICMA. We attribute this improvement to a reduced photocatalytic decomposition of IT-4F in the ternary system, which results in a decreased recombination. We propose that the added fullerenes protect the IT-4F by acting as a sacrificial reagent, thereby suppressing the trap state formation. Furthermore, we show that the protective effect of the most promising fullerene ICMA is transferable to two other binary systems PBDB-TF:BTP-4F and PTB7-Th:IT-4F. Importantly, this effect can also increase the air stability of PBDB-TF:IT-4F. This work demonstrates that the addition of fullerene derivatives is a transferable and straightforward strategy to improve the stability of OSCs.

Fullerene Desymmetrization as a Means to Achieve Single-Enantiomer Electron Acceptors with Maximized Chiroptical Responsiveness.

Abstract: Solubilized fullerene derivatives have revolutionized the development of organic photovoltaic devices, acting as excellent electron acceptors. The addition of solubilizing addends to the fullerene cage results in a large number of isomers, which are generally employed as isomeric mixtures. Moreover, a significant number of these isomers are chiral, which further adds to the isomeric complexity. The opportunities presented by single-isomer, and particularly single-enantiomer, fullerenes in organic electronic materials and devices are poorly understood however. Here, ten pairs of enantiomers are separated from the 19 structural isomers of bis[60]phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester, using them to elucidate important chiroptical relationships and demonstrating their application to a circularly polarized light (CPL)-detecting device. Larger chiroptical responses are found, occurring through the inherent chirality of the fullerene. When used in a single-enantiomer organic field-effect transistor, the potential to discriminate CPL with a fast light response time and with a very high photocurrent dissymmetry factor (gph = 1.27 ± 0.06) is demonstrated. This study thus provides key strategies to design fullerenes with large chiroptical responses for use as chiral components of organic electronic devices. It is anticipated that this data will position chiral fullerenes as an exciting material class for the growing field of chiral electronic technologies.

Carbon materials with high pentagon density

Abstract: Pentagons in carbon materials have attracted attentions because of the potential high chemical reactivity, band gap control, and electrochemical activity. However, it is challenging to prepare a carbon film with high pentagon density because of the curvature and the high reactivity caused by the presence of pentagons, and it is also challenging to estimate the percentage of pentagons in carbon materials because of the limitation of current analytical techniques. In this work, the percentage of pentagons in carbon materials was experimentally estimated for the first time using experimental and calculated C1s X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Carbon films with 7% of pentagons (40% of pentagons compared to the raw material) with electrical resistivity of 1.1 × 104 Ω meter were prepared by heat treatment of corannulene at 873 K. On the other hand, fluoranthene and fullerene remained as non-film solid and powder without forming films at 873 K. Experimental and calculated Raman and IR spectra revealed the peaks of different types of pentagons. Decrement of pentagons in corannulene and fluoranthene heated at high temperatures can be explained mainly by the scission of C=C bond in pentagons, as suggested by the results of reactive molecular dynamics simulation (ReaxFF).

Top-Down N-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Multiple Purposes: Heavy Metal Detection and Intracellular Fluorescence.

Abstract: In the present study, we successfully synthesized N-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) using a top-down approach, i.e., hydroxyl radical opening of fullerene with hydrogen peroxide, in basic ambient using ammonia for two different reaction times. The ensuing characterization via dynamic light scattering, SEM, and IR spectroscopy revealed a size control that was dependent on the reaction time, as well as a more pronounced -NH2 functionalization. The N-CQDs were probed for metal ion detection in aqueous solutions and during bioimaging and displayed a Cr3+ and Cu2+ selectivity shift at a higher degree of -NH2 functionalization, as well as HEK-293 cell nuclei marking.

Helically Organized Fullerene Array in a Supramolecular Polymer Main Chain.

Abstract: To date, supramolecular chemistry techniques have been applied to fullerene polymer synthesis, enabling the development of main-chain fullerene polymers whose primary structure is well regulated, including linear, dendritic, and net-like fullerene arrays. These research achievements have led to an intriguing scientific challenge to create main-chain fullerene polymers with higher structural regulation. Here, we report the fabrication of a helically organized fullerene array based on the supramolecular polymerization of chiral ditopic tetrakiscalix[5]arene hosts and a dumbbell-shaped fullerene. The molecular association between the chiral hosts and the dumbbell-shaped fullerene resulted in sizable supramolecular polymers in solution, with the highest degree of polymerization of more than 32. The achiral dumbbell-shaped fullerene exhibited circular dichroism in the π-π* transition bands arising from the fullerene moieties through supramolecular polymerization. End-capping experiments of the supramolecular helical polymers showed that the chirally twisted conformation of the dumbbell-shaped fullerene was directed by supramolecular polymerization. Finally, the helical morphology of the supramolecular polymer chain was visualized by atomic force microscopy. The successful development of helical main-chain fullerene polymers would break new ground in fullerene chemistry.

Endohedral metallofullerene electrides of Ca12O12 with remarkable nonlinear optical response

Abstract: Herein, the structural, electronic, thermodynamic, linear and nonlinear optical properties of inorganic electrides, generated by alkali metal doping in group II–VI Ca12O12 fullerene, are studied. Endohedral doping of alkali metal leads to the formation of electrides whereas no such phenomenon is seen for exohedral doping. The electride nature of the endohedral fullerenes is confirmed through the analysis of frontier molecular orbitals. The results show that doping of alkali metal atoms leads to a reduction of the HOMO–LUMO gap and increase of the dipole moment, polarizability and hyperpolarizability of nanocages. Doping causes shifting of electrons from alkali metal atoms towards the Ca12O12 nanocage, which serve as excess electrons. Furthermore, the participation of excess electrons for enhancing the NLO response of these nanocages has been confirmed through the calculation of hyperpolarizability (βo). For exploring the controlling factors of hyperpolarizability, a two level model has been employed and the direct relation of hyperpolarizability with Δμ & fo, while an inverse relation of hyperpolarizability with ΔE has been studied. The electrides possess remarkable nonlinear response where the highest hyperpolarizability can reach up to 1.0 × 106 a.u. for endo-K@Ca12O12. This electride has the lowest ΔE of 0.63 eV among all compounds studied here. These intriguing results will be expedient for promoting the potential applications of the Ca12O12-based nano systems in high-performance nonlinear optical (NLO) materials.

DFT computational study of trihalogenated aniline derivative's adsorption onto graphene/fullerene/fullerene-like nanocages, X12Y12 (X = Al, B, and Y = N, P).

Abstract: Adsorption of 2,4,6-tribromoaniline (BA), 2,4,6-trifluoroaniline (FA) and 2,4,6-trichloroaniline (CA) onto the surface of coronene/fullerene/fullerene-like nanocages was investigated by theoretical...