Fullerene

About: Fullerene is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 12723 publications have been published within this topic receiving 359173 citations.

Functionalization of graphene sheets through fullerene attachment

Abstract: Fullerene-functionalized graphene shows a hierarchical structure, and is promising for many potential applications. In this paper, a new method is presented to synthesize such a novel nanostructure. Graphite flakes were intercalated to graphite oxide, and then functionalized with zero-dimensional fullerene nanocrystals. The resultant compounds were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The characterization results confirmed that fullerene crystals were successfully attached onto the single-layer graphene sheets and significantly facilitated the exfoliation of graphite to monolayer graphene. The fullerene grafted on the graphene surface serves as a space impediment to prevent the re-stacking of exfoliated graphene sheets. This attempt provides an effective route for large-scale exfoliation and functionalization of monolayer graphene, and is expected to significantly facilitate the application of graphene in the electronic devices, energy storage, and functional materials.

Self-Assembling Fullerenes for Improved Bulk-Heterojunction Photovoltaic Devices

Abstract: The fullerene adducts 1a and 1b, whose molecular shapes either promote or hinder the formation of 1-D stacks, have been examined for their potential to form 1-D wire-like domains in bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells. The photovoltaic efficiency of solar cells based on blends of the stacking fullerene 1a with regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) is greatly enhanced compared to nonstacking model fullerene 1b.

Evolution of glassy carbon under heat treatment: correlation structure–mechanical properties

Abstract: In order to accommodate an increasing demand for glassy carbon products with tailored characteristics, one has to understand the origin of their structure-related properties. In this work, through the use of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy it has been demonstrated that the structure of glassy carbon at different stages of the carbonization process resembles the curvature observed in fragments of nanotubes, fullerenes, or nanoonions. The measured nanoindentation hardness and reduced Young’s modulus change as a function of the pyrolysis temperature from the range of 600–2500 °C and reach maximum values for carbon pyrolyzed at around 1000 °C. Essentially, the highest values of the mechanical parameters for glassy carbon manufactured at that temperature can be related to the greatest amount of non-planar sp 2 -hybridized carbon atoms involved in the formation of curved graphene-like layers. Such complex labyrinth-like structure with sp 2 -type bonding would be rigid and hard to break that explains the glassy carbon high strength and hardness.

Extraction and STM Imaging of Spherical Giant Fullerenes.

Abstract: High-temperature, high-pressure extracts of soot produced by the Kratschmer-Huffman technique (KH carbon) were characterized by mass spectrometry and imaging with scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs). The mass spectra of these samples are similar to those of ambient-pressure, high-boiling-point solvent extractions, supporting the idea that solvent temperature and possibly pressure are key parameters in extraction of the giant fuilerenes. The STM images show that the giant fullerenes in these samples are roughly spherical in shape and range in diameter from approximately 1 to 2 nanometers, corresponding to fullerenes containing 60 to 330 atoms. No evidence of bucky tubes was found.