Reaction of trans-[Pt(H)2(PCy3)2] with C60 reductive elimination of H2 and formation of [Pt(PCy3)2(η-C60)]

Reaction of trans-[Pt(H)₂(PCy₃)₂], 1, with [60]fullerene at room temperature affords [Pt(PCy₃)₂(η²-C₆₀)], 2, in nearly quantitative yield. The most probable reaction pattern is the insertion of a fullerene 6,6 junction onto a Pt-H bond yielding an η¹ alkyl derivative which, after hydrogen extrusion, gives 2. On the other hand, addition of 1 to different electron-deficient olefins, such as dimethyl maleate and fumarate, furnishes mixtures of both η¹ metal—alkyl and η² metal—olefin derivatives. If tetrachloroethylene is used as 2π component, trans-[PtCl(H)(PCy₃)₂] forms exclusively.     

Mild Microfluidic Approaches to Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesis

Oxide nanoparticles (oxide NPs) are advanced materials with a wide variety of applications in different fields. The use of continuous flow methods is particularly appealing for their synthesis due to the high control achieved over the reaction conditions and the easy process scalability. The present review focuses on the preparation of oxide NPs using microfluidic setups at low temperature (≤80 °C), since the employment of mild reaction conditions is crucial for developing sustainable and cost-effective processes. A particular emphasis will be put on the improvement over the final product features (e. g., size, shape, and size distribution) given by flow methods with respect to conventional batch procedures. The main issues that arise by treating NPs suspensions in microfluidic systems are product deposition or channel clogging; mitigation strategies to overcome these drawbacks will also be presented and discussed.     

Unexpected high ordering of a [60]Fullerene nitroxide in the nematic phase of 4-4'-azoxyanisole

A nitroxide [60]fullerene adduct containing a pyrrolidine-1-oxyl group has been synthesized. Its orientational order in the nematic phase of the liquid crystal solvent 4,4'-azoxyanisole (PAA) has been measured from the variation of the EPR spectral parameters on passing from the isotropic to the nematic phase. Highly resolved EPR lines allow for precise evaluation of the shifts of the g , a N and a H values. Since the g and the hyperfine tensors are known, the order matrix could be obtained. This is compared with the one calculated with a theoretical model based on short range solute-solvent interactions, which predicts a considerable degree of orientation of the molecular axes, despite the almost spherical shape of the molecule. The agreement with experimental findings is quite good and it is further improved if a bent structure of the pyrrolidine ring is taken into account.     

The continuous-flow cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to carbon nanotubes

This communication demonstrates a straightforward continuous-flow method for efficient exohedral functionalisation of carbon nanotubes which affords soluble samples in a much shorter time over conventional batch processing.     

Wetting behavior of porous silicon surfaces functionalized with a fulleropyrrolidine

We report the immobilization of a fulleropyrrolidine, bearing a dec-9-ynyl functionality, on silicon surfaces through a thermal hydrosilylation protocol. Contact angle measurements on porous silicon (PS) surfaces reveal an unusual dependence of the angle with the PS roughness that apparently contradicts Wenzel's formula. This result has been explained by an extension of Wenzel's model in which the critical angle, which discriminates between the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of a solid material, is substantially reduced below 90 degrees by surface roughness.     

Hierarchised luminescent organic architectures: design, synthesis, self-assembly, self-organisation and functions

This critical review aims at highlighting the prevailing supramolecular approaches employed nowadays in the preparation of luminescent hierarchised materials. Specifically, it has the ambition to illustrate how progresses in the control of the supramolecular interaction toolbox ultimately led to the development of spectacular luminescent nano- and micro-architectures, through a combination of molecular self-assembly and self-organisation processes involving organic π-conjugated molecules. The reader will be guided through a systematic exploration of the most common avenues to prepare and characterise luminescent self-assembled/self-organised materials embedded into one-, two- or three-dimensional networks, accompanied by a critical discussion of their main advantages and limitations. Key representative examples of this research field will be thoroughly described, with a particular focus on those systems displaying potential on the device application scene. Particular attention will be devoted to the design and synthetic approaches aimed at the preparation of the primary π-conjugated molecular modules, the chemical, structural and electronic properties of which dramatically influence the fate and the features of the self-assembled/self-organised material (215 references).     

Synthesis of Fullerene Derivatives for Incorporation in Sol-Gel Glasses

We report on the synthesis of fullerene derivatives containing a trialkoxysilane moiety that exhibit enhanced solubility in solvents commonly used for sol-gel processing. These derivatives have been successfully embedded in glassy bulk samples and thin films that show very promising optical limiting properties.