光电化学催化中的富勒烯基材料：机理及应用

光催化和电化学催化在现代清洁能源转化中发挥了无可替代的作用。[60]富勒烯(C_(60))材料因其独特的结构与性能而被广泛用于各类光电催化剂的开发中,并取得了令人瞩目的成果。我们简介了C_(60)的基本性质以及富勒烯基(包括C_(60)笼外衍生物和衍生碳材料)光电催化剂的制备方法,综述了C_(60)及其衍生材料在光催化和电化学催化领域中的研究进展,就其在光电化学催化应用中所起到的主要作用、工作机理以及优化策略进行了讨论。并对C_(60)基催化剂发展中的主要问题与挑战进行了总结和展望。     

Theoretical studies on the electronic structures and spectra of single silicon-doped SWCNTs

The equilibrium geometries and electronic structures of a series of SWCNTs doped with a silicon atom were studied by using density function theory (DFT). The most stable doping site of silicon predicted at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level was located near the boundary of the SWCNTs. The energy gaps of (3,3) C₄₈, (3,3) C₆₀ and (3,3) C₇₂ were respectively decreased by 0.43, 0.25 and 0.14 eV after doping. Based on the B3LYP/6-31G(d) optimized geometries, the electronic spectra of the doped SWCNTs were computed using the INDO/CIS method. The first UV absorption at 973.9 nm of (5,5)-Si(L) (C₅₉Si) compared with that at 937.5 nm of (5,5) (C₆₀) was red-shifted. The ¹³C NMR spectra and nuclear independent chemical shifts (NICS) of the doped SWCNTs were investigated at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. The chemical shift at 119.4 of the carbon atom bonded with the silicon atom in (3,3)-Si(L) (C₅₉Si) in comparison with that at 144.1 of the same carbon atom in (3,3) (C₆₀) moved upfield. The tendency of the aromaticity (NICS = −0.1) for (3,3)-Si(H) (C₄₇Si) with respect to that of the anti-aromaticity (NICS = 6.0) for (3,3) (C₄₈) was predicted.      

Quantum chemistry study on B32 and B32H2–32

The structures of B32 and B₃₂H^2–₃₂ with I_h symmetry have been investigated by means of ab initio calculations at STO-3G level. The relationship between molecular orbitals of them has been analyzed and their bonding properties have been discussed. Then the possibility of their existence, as well as the similarity and difference between B₃₂ (B₃₂H^2–₃₂) and C₆₀ (C₆₀H₆₀) have been inferred.     

Adsorption Mechanisms of 6-Chloro-3-Hydroxy-2-Pyrazinecarboxamide on Pristine,Si- and Al-Doped C<Subscript>60</Subscript> Fullerenes: A DFT Study

Fullerenes have been of research interest and they have been particularly studied for their possible applications as drug delivery vehicles. In the present research, the optimized molecular geometries, electronic properties and the possible interaction mechanisms between C₆₀, Si- or Al-doped C₆₀ and 6-chloro-3-hydroxy-2-pyrazinecarboxamide were investigated using quantum mechanical calculations. The calculated binding energies to the Si- and Al-doped fullerenes suggest that doping of fullerene nanocage enhances the interaction mechanism and alters the chemical and electronic properties. The results and parameters found in this research reveal further insight into drug delivery systems.     

Assessing a double silicon decorated fullerene for the delivery of interacting flurbiprofen and salicylic acid drugs: A DFT approach

Since the number of drugs increases constantly, drug interactions appear as a critical issue to handle. The effective use of multiple drugs appears as another important subject to discuss and the use of targeted and selective delivery of drugs is becoming more important. Impurity doped C₆₀ fullerenes with various dopant atoms such as silicon or boron appear as promising drug delivery vehicles. Therefore, in the framework of this study, we investigated the interaction between salicylic acid and flurbiprofen and their controlled delivery by using double silicon decorated C₆₀ fullerene using density functional theory. Stability and reactivity considerations were also examined by investigating some important structural parameters, interaction energies and frontier molecular orbitals. The interactions were also monitored by examining important diagnostic vibrational bands. The strength of the interactions between atoms at the interaction sites was also identified by using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules.     

A robust computational investigation on C60 fullerene nanostructure as a novel sensor to detect SCN−

This study explored on the adsorption properties and electronic structure of SCN^? via density functional theory analysis on the exterior surfaces of C₆₀ and CNTs using B3LYP functional and 6-31G** standard basis set. Then adsorption of SCN^? through nitrogen atom on the C₆₀ fullerene is electrostatic (?48.02 kJ mol^?1) in comparison with the C₅₉Al fullerene that shows covalently attached to fullerene surface (?389.10 kJ mol^?1). Our calculations demonstrate that the SCN^? adsorption on the pristine and Al-doped single-walled CNTs are ?173.13 and ?334.43 kJ mol^?1, indicating that the SCN^? can be chemically bonded on the surface of Al-doped CNTs. Moreover, the adsorption of SCN^? on the C₆₀ surface is weaker in comparison with C₅₉B, C₅₉Al, and C₅₉Ga systems but its electronic sensitivity improved in comparison with those of C₅₉B, C₅₉Al, and C₅₉Ga fullerenes. The evaluation of adsorption energy, energy gap, and dipole moment demonstrates that the pure fullerene can be exploited in the design practice as an SCN^? sensor and C₅₉Al can be used for SCN^? removal applications.     

Axially Substituted Silicon Phthalocyanine as Electron Donor in a Dyad and Triad with Azafullerene as Electron Acceptor for Photoinduced Charge Separation

The synthesis of a donor–acceptor silicon phthalocyanine (SiPc)‐azafullerene (C₅₉N) dyad 1 and of the first acceptor–donor–acceptor C₅₉N‐SiPc‐C₅₉N dumbbell triad 2 was accomplished. The two C₅₉N‐based materials were comprehensively characterized with the aid of NMR spectroscopy, MALDI‐MS as well as DFT calculations and their redox and photophysical properties were evaluated with CV and steady‐state and time‐resolved absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy measurements. Notably, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy assays revealed that both dyad 1 and triad 2 undergo, after selective photoexcitation of the SiPc moiety, photoinduced electron transfer from the singlet excited state of the SiPc moiety to the azafullerene counterpart to produce the charge‐separated state, with lifetimes of 660 ps, in the case of dyad 1 , and 810 ps, in the case of triad 2 . The current results are expected to have significant implications en route to the design of advanced C₅₉N‐based donor–acceptor systems targeting energy conversion applications.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Alkylverbindungen von Übergangsmetallen. 60. Darstellung und Eigenschaften von Zirconocendibenzylen — Molekülstruktur von (Me3SiC5H4)2Zr(CH2C6H5)2

Contributions to the Chemistry of Transition Metal Alkyl Compounds. 60 Synthesis and Properties of Zirconocene Dibenzyl Compounds — Molecular Structure of (Me₃SiC₅H₄)₂Zr(CH₂C₆H₅)₂ It is reported about the synthesis and n.m.r. spectroscopic characterization of zirconocene dibenzyl compounds with substituted cyclopentadienyl rings and the influence of the substituents on the Zr? CH₂ bonds. The molecular structure of (Me₃SiC₅H₄)₂Zr · (CH₂C₆H₅)₂ is reported and discussed.     

Implications of Nitrogen Doping on Geometrical and Electronic Structure of the Fullerene Dimers

Because of its unsaturated bonds, C₆₀ is susceptible to polymerize into dimers. The implications of nitrogen doping on the geometrical and electronic structure of C₆₀ dimers have been ambiguous for years. A quarter‐century after the discovery of azafullerene dimer (C₅₉N)₂, we reported its single crystallographic structure in 2019. Herein, the unambiguous crystal structure information of (C₅₉N)₂ is elucidated specifically, revealing that the inter‐cage C—C single bond length of (C₅₉N)₂ is comparable with that of an ordinary C(sp³)‐C(sp³) single bond, and that the most stable conformer of (C₅₉N)₂ is gauche‐conformer with a dihedral angle of 66°. To amend the structural deviations, geometrical structure of (C₅₉N)₂ is optimized by a B3LYP‐D3BJ function, which is proved to be more consistent with its single crystal structure than those by the commonly used B3LYP function. Moreover, the calculation method is also suitable for other representative fullerene dimers, such as (C₆₀)₂ and its divalent anion. Additionally, the dissociation of (C₅₉N)₂ at 473 K under mass spectrometric conditions suggests the inter‐cage C—C bond is relatively weaker than an ordinary C—C single bond, which can be explained by the interaction energies of inter‐cages.     

A theoretical study of protonation of triatomic silicon–carbon compounds

Ab initio molecular orbital methods are employed to study the low-lying states of C₃H⁺, SiC₂H⁺, Si₂CH⁺, and Si₃H⁺. Special attention is paid to a comparative study between C₃H⁺ and Si₃H⁺. In both cases a ³B₂ state is found to lie the lowest at the HF level, although inclusion of correlation effects favor a linear structure (¹Σ⁺ state) for C₃H⁺, which lies 25 kcal/mol below the ³B₂ state at the MP 4 level, and a bent structure (¹A′ state) for Si₃H⁺, which lies just 2 kcal/mol below the ³B₂ state. The proton affinities of C₃, SiC₂, Si₂C, and Si₃ are estimated at different levels of theory. Both protonation at carbon and silicon atoms are considered for SiC₂ and Si₂C. It is found that C₃ comparatively has a low proton affinity. On the other hand, Si₃ has a relatively high proton affinity compared with the protonation at silicon atom for both SiC₂ and Si₂C. These results are discussed on the basis of electronic structure arguments.     

Photoinduced processes of newly synthesized bisferrocene- and bisfullerene-substituted tetrads with a triphenylamine central block

Photoinduced electron transfer processes of two newly synthesized tetrads with a triphenylamine (TPA) as central building block, to which bisfullerenes (C₆₀) and bisferrocenes (Fc) are covalently connected, have been studied. One of them has a TPA linked with one C₆₀ moiety and two ferrocene moieties C₆₀-TPA-(Fc)₂ and another tetrad has a TPA linked with two C₆₀ moieties and one ferrocene unit (C₆₀)₂-TPA-Fc. The photophysical properties of (C₆₀)_m-TPA-(Fc)_n have been investigated by applying the picosecond time-resolved fluorescence and nanosecond transient absorption techniques in both polar and nonpolar solvents. The charge separation process via the excited singlet state of the C₆₀ moiety of the C₆₀-TPA-(Fc)₂ is more efficient than that of the (C₆₀)₂-TPA-Fc. It is found that the ratio of Fc-donor to C₆₀-acceptor affects charge separation efficiency via the excited singlet state of the C₆₀ moiety.     

The Silicon Carbonyls Revisited: On the Existence of a Planar Si(CO)4

Recently, some works have focused attention on the reactivity of silicon atom with closed-shell molecules. Silicon may form a few relatively stable compounds with CO, i.e. Si(CO), Si(CO)₂, Si[C₂O₂], while the existence of polycarbonyl (n>2) silicon complexes has been rejected by current literature. In this paper, the reaction of silicon with carbonyl has been reinvestigated by density functional calculations. It has been found that the tetracoordinated planar Si(CO)₄ complex is thermodynamically stable. In Si(CO), silicon carbonyl, and Si(CO)₂, silicon dicarbonyl, the CO are datively bonded to Si; Si(CO)₄, silicon tetracarbonyl, may be viewed as a resonance between the extreme configurations (CO)₂Si + 2CO and 2CO + Si(CO)₂; while Si[C₂O₂], c-silicodiketone, is similar to the compounds formed by silicon and ethylene. A detailed orbital analysis has shown that the Si bonding with two CO is consistent with the use of sp ²-hybridized orbitals on silicon, while the Si bonding with four CO is consistent with the use of sp ² d-hybridized orbitals on silicon, giving rise to a planar structure about Si.     

Regioselectivity of 1,3-Butadiene Diels-Alder Cycloaddition to C59XH (X=N, B)

The regioselectivity of Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 1,3-butadiene to C₅₉XH (X=N, B) has been studied theoretically by means of the semiempirical AM1 and DFT (B3LYP/6-31G^*) methods. The mechanisms of the cycloaddition on some selected 6.6 bonds of C₅₉XH (X=N, B) have been analyzed. For C₅₉NH, the activation energies become lower with the addition site increasingly farther from the N atom; however, they are all higher than that of the reaction of 1,3-butadiene with C₆₀. In contrast to C59NH, for the cycloaddition to C₅₉BH, the activation energies corresponding to 2,12/r- and 2,12/f-transition states, in which the addition sites are the nearest ones to the B atom, are the lowest ones, and are lower than that of the reaction of 1,3-butadiene with C₆₀ by over 18 kJ·mol⁻¹, and the products corresponding to these two transition states are the most stable ones. The different electronic natures of N and B atoms results in different effects on the Diels-Alder reactions of 1,3-butadiene with C₅₉NH and C₅₉BH; the former makes the reactivity of C₅₉NH reduced and the latter makes the reactivity of C₅₉BH enhanced, relative to that of C₆₀.     

Morphology Engineering of Fullerene (C60) Microstructures Featuring Surface Cracks with Enhanced Photoluminescence and Microscopic Recognition Properties

Surface cracks could improve the optical and photoelectronic properties of crystalline materials as they increase specific surface area, but the controlled self-assembly of fullerene (C₆₀) molecules into micro-/nanostructures with surface cracks is still challenging. Herein, we report the morphology engineering of novel C₆₀ microstructures bearing surface cracks for the first time, selecting phenetole and propan-1-ol (NPA) as good and poor solvents, respectively. Our systematic investigations reveal that phenetole molecules initially participate in the formation of the ends of the C₆₀ microstructures, and then NPA molecules are involved in the gradual growth of the sidewalls of the microstructures. Therefore, the surface cracks of C₆₀ microstructures can be finely regulated by adjusting the addition of NPA and the crystallization time. Interestingly, the cracked C₆₀ microstructures show superior photoluminescence properties relative to the smooth microstructures due to the increased specific surface area. In addition, C₆₀ microstructures with wide cracks show preferential recognition of silica particles over C₆₀ particles owing to electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged C₆₀ microstructures and the positively charged silica microparticles. These C₆₀ crystals with surface cracks have potential applications from optoelectronics to biology.     

DFT study on a fullerene doped with Si and N

DFT calculations are applied for some stable C₆₀, C₅₉Si, and C₅₉N hetero fullerenes. Sn and Ge atoms are doped at the same position of C₆₀. Computations are carried out at the B3LYP/cc pVDZ levels. In this work the effects of the heteroatoms, Si and N, on the structural properties of the fullerene have been studied. The structure, energetic and relative stabilities of the compounds were compared and analyzed with each other. In addition, vibrations spectra of proposed stable neutral species, as well as the infrared intensities are calculated. From the data obtained from calculation, we found that there is strong correlation between the stability of pure C₆₀ fullerene molecule and the numbers of different C-C bonds.     

Computational Studies on Non‐covalent Interactions of Carbon and Boron Fullerenes with Graphene

First‐principles DFT calculations are carried out to study the changes in structures and electronic properties of two‐dimensional single‐layer graphene in the presence of non‐covalent interactions induced by carbon and boron fullerenes (C₆₀, C₇₀, C₈₀ and B₈₀). Our study shows that larger carbon fullerene interacts more strongly than the smaller fullerene, and boron fullerene interacts more strongly than that of its carbon analogue with the same nuclearity. We find that van der Waals interactions play a major role in governing non‐covalent interactions between the adsorbed fullerenes and graphene. Moreover, a greater extent of van der Waals interactions found for the larger fullerenes, C₈₀ and B₈₀, relative to smaller C₆₀, and consequently, results in higher stabilisation. We find a small amount of electron transfer from graphene to fullerene, which gives rise to a hole‐doped material. We also find changes in the graphene electronic band structures in the presence of these surface‐decorated fullerenes. The Dirac cone picture, such as that found in pristine graphene, is significantly modified due to the re‐hybridisation of graphene carbon orbitals with fullerenes orbitals near the Fermi energy. However, all of the composites exhibit perfect conducting behaviour. The simulated absorption spectra for all of the graphene–fullerene hybrids do not exhibit a significant change in the absorption peak positions with respect to the pristine graphene absorption spectrum. Additionally, we find that the hole‐transfer integral between graphene and C₆₀ is larger than the electron‐transfer integrals and the extent of these transfer integrals can be significantly tuned by graphene edge functionalisation with carboxylic acid groups. Our understanding of the non‐covalent functionalisation of graphene with various fullerenes would promote experimentalists to explore these systems, for their possible applications in electronic and opto‐electronic devices.     

Solid State Reactions in the Al‐Si‐C System

The study is aimed to prevent the formation of the aluminium carbide compound Al₄C₃ that negatively affects Al‐Si‐C based materials. The reaction products of elementary aluminium, silicon and graphite as well as aluminium with either β‐SiC or α‐SiC without and with graphite at temperatures 1200°‐2500 °C under different atmospheres and reaction times were characterized using powder X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis. The results of the powder diffraction study show that under the conditions (1450 °C; 8 h; vacuum) the formation of Al₄C₃ could be prevented. The reaction products at those conditions consist of the ternary compound Al₄SiC₄ besides SiC and residual carbon. The ternary aluminium silicon carbide Al₄SiC₄ crystallizes in a hexagonal crystal system with unit cell dimensions a = 327.64(4) pm, b = 2171.2(6) pm and space group P6₃mc (no. 186). The crystal structure of Al₄SiC₄ is isostructural with Al₅C₃N and consists of layers of Al₄C₃ and SiC.     

Stimuli‐Responsive Water‐Soluble Fullerene (C60) Polymeric Systems

This review documents the advances in stimuli‐responsive water‐soluble fullerene (C₆₀) polymeric systems. Stimuli‐responsive polymers, when grafted onto C₆₀ impart “smart” and “responsive” characteristics, and these novel materials adopt various morphologies when subjected to external stimuli, such as pH, temperature, and salt. Various synthetic approaches for producing C₆₀‐polymers are outlined and discussed. The responsive behavior, water solubility, and self‐assembly characteristics of these C₆₀‐polymers make them attractive for applications such as drug delivery, temperature sensors, and personal care.     

Chemically modified fullerene derivatives as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy: A first‐principles study

The first‐principles density functional theory (DFT) and its time‐dependent approach (TD‐DFT) are used to characterize the electronic structures and optical spectra properties of five chemically modified fullerenes. It is revealed that the metal fullerene derivatives possess not only stronger absorption bands in visible light regions than organically modified fullerene but also the large energy gaps (ΔE_S–T > 0.98 eV) between the singlet ground state and the triplet state, which imply their significant aspect of potential candidates as a photosensitizer. We have found that a new metal‐containing bisfullerene complexes (Pt(C₆₀)₂), with the extended conjugated π‐electrons, much degenerate orbitals and a uniform electrostatic potential surface, behave more pre‐eminent photosensitizing properties than other examined fullerene derivatives. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.