Extraction of C60 from fullerene-containing carbon soots

Extraction of fullerene-containing carbon soots with various organic solvents has been studied at room temperature. Yields and compositions of toluene-soluble carbon soot fractions have been determined. Extracts of different carbon soot samples treated according to the toluene—trichlorobenzene—nitrobenzene scheme are studied.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1223–1225, July, 1995.The authors are grateful to E. B. Yagubskii and I. S. Krainskii for helpful discussion and help in the work.The work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 93-03-18705).     

Separation of C60 and C70 fullerenes on silica modified by polyaromatic and π-acid aromatic compounds

Separation of C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes by HPLC was studied using sorbents synthesized by reaction of perylenedicarboxylic anhydride, dimethoxyviolanthrene, the tetramer of chromotropic acid with formaldehyde (TCA), trinitrobenzoyl chloride, or chlorotrinitrobenzene with γ-aminopropyl silica. These sorbents possess satisfactory chromatographic properties. The sorbent based on TCA is effective for separation of preparative amounts of fullerenes. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1544–1546, August, 1997.     

Structures of Chlorinated Fullerenes,IPR C96Cl20 and Non‐classical C94Cl28 and C92Cl32: Evidence of the Existence of Three New Isomers of C96

Chlorination of various HPLC fractions of C₉₆ with a mixture of VCl₄ and SbCl₅ at 340–360 °C and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study of the products led to the identification of three new IPR isomers of C₉₆. The C₉₆(175) isomer forms a stable chloride, C₉₆(175)Cl₂₀, while chlorides of two other new isomers, C₉₆(114) and C₉₆(80), undergo cage shrinkage yielding C₉₄(NC1)Cl₂₈ and C₉₆(NC2)Cl₃₂ with non‐classical (NC) cages. These two NC chlorides contain, respectively, one and two heptagons flanked by pairs of fused pentagons and are stabilized by chlorine attachment to the emerging pentagon–pentagon junctions. Thus, the number of the experimentally confirmed C₉₆ isomers has reached nine, which corroborates the empirical rule that the C_6n fullerenes exhibit particularly rich isomerism.     

Induced Absorption of C60 and a Water-Soluble C60-Derivative in SiO2 Sol-Gel Matrices

Porous sol-gel glasses, either impregnated with pure C₆₀ or doped with a methanofullerene derivative, have been studied and induced absorption or reverse saturable absorption (RSA) has been observed in both types of solid materials. The samples impregnated by pure C₆₀ mainly contain well-dispersed fullerene molecules. Unlike crystalline films of C₆₀, their absorption dynamics can be well described by a 5-level model, developed for non-interacting C₆₀-molecules in solutions. Methanofullerene samples, on the other hand, show signs of micellar aggregation and therefore RSA dynamics that are influenced by solid state effects. We observe an important decrease of transmission at high fluences for both kinds of samples, a shortened singlet-state lifetime to that observed in solution, but nonetheless, a triplet yield, that cannot be considered as negligible. In the case of pure C₆₀ in a sol-gel matrix, we can explain the faster de-excitation dynamics, relative to behavior in solution, mainly by the absence of stabilizing aromatic solvents and also by the interaction of the amorphous environment with the molecules. Concerning the methanofullerene samples, the acceleration of the de-excitation dynamics can be principally attributed to solid-state effects due to the micellar aggregation.     

Study of the factors determining the outcome of cycloaddition of isocyanurato-substituted azides to [60]fullerene

The final outcome of cycloaddition of isocyanuratoalkyl azides to C₆₀ depends on the temperature, the thermal stability of azides, the substituents in the isocyanurate ring, and the number of methylene groups in the alkyl radical. The thermal transformations of the monoadducts obtained were studied.     

Synthesis and transformations of metallacycles. 23. Cp2TiCl2-Catalyzed cyclometallation of fullerene C60 with EtAlCl2

1-Ethyl-2,3-fullerenoaluminacyclopropanes (EtAl)_n(²-C₆₀) were synthesized by the reaction of fullerene C₆₀ with an excess of EtAlCl₂ in the presence of Mg and using Cp₂TiCl₂ as the catalyst in a THF--toluene solution at 20 °C. Deuterolysis of fullerenoaluminacyclopropanes afforded a mixture of deuteriofullerenes C₆₀D_m, where m = 6--12.     

Fullerene Derivatives Embedded in Hybrid Sol-Gel Glasses: Nonlinear Optical Properties and Optical Limiting Performances

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials are investigated as suitable materials for inclusion of fullerene derivatives and for fabrication of laser protection devices. A specific synthesis has been developed in order to optimize non-linear optical performances of fullerene derivatives. 3-glicydoxypropyltrymethoxysilane has been used as an inorganic and organic network former to obtain the host material. The sol-gel synthesis consists of the hydrolysis and condensation in acidic conditions of the inorganic network. Epoxy polymerization has been achieved by using zirconium or BF₃ alkoxides precursors. Bulk and multilayer materials doped with a fullerene derivative have been fabricated. They show good optical requirements: high fullerenes concentration, high microstructural homogeneity, high laser damage threshold and high optical limiting efficiency. Optical limiting (OL) mechanisms have been investigated. The most effective in the sol-gel materials is the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) one. However, different mechanisms, like non-linear (NL) scattering and NL refraction contribute to a different extent. Open- and closed-aperture OL and z-scan measurements on sol-gel samples show the contribution of NL scattering and NL refraction at 690 nm. Laser damage threshold has been characterized as a function of the structure of the samples and of the optical configurations (f/66 and f/5).     

Facile Separation,Spectroscopic Identification,and Electrochemical Properties of Higher Trifluoromethylated Derivatives of [70]Fullerene

We survey the structure and electronic properties of the family of higher trifluoromethylated C₇₀(CF₃)_n molecules with n=14, 16, 18, and 20. Twenty‐two available compounds, of which thirteen are newly obtained and characterized, demonstrate the broad diversity of π‐system topologies, which enabled us to study the interplay between the CF₃ addition pattern and the electronic properties. UV/Vis spectroscopic and cyclic voltammetric studies demonstrate the importance of the exact addition pattern rather than the plain number of addends. Of particular interest is the skew pentagonal pyramid (SPP) addition pattern, which enables formation of closed‐shell cyclopentadienyl anions C₇₀(CF₃)_{n? 1} ^? through CF₃ detachment upon electron transfer. A detailed study of the process is presented for a SPP‐C₇₀(CF₃)₁₆ where potentiostatic electrolysis at the second reduction potential gives C₇₀(CF₃)₁₅^? oxidizable to a persistent C₇₀(CF₃)₁₅^· radical. Together with the literature data for the lower C₇₀(CF₃)_n compounds with n=2–12, the present results show good correlation between the experimental boundary level positions and the DFT predictions. The compounds turn out to be electron acceptor molecular semiconductors with experimental LUMO energies and HOMO–LUMO gaps within the ranges of ?4.3 to ?3.7 eV and 1.6 to 3.3 eV, respectively, depending on the shape of the conjugated fragments. The HOMO levels fall within the range of ?5.6 to ?6.9 eV and show linear correlation with the number of addends.     

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence in a Y3N@C80 Endohedral Fullerene: Time‐Resolved Luminescence and EPR Studies

The endohedral fullerene Y₃N@C₈₀ exhibits luminescence with reasonable quantum yield and extraordinary long lifetime. By variable‐temperature steady‐state and time‐resolved luminescence spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that above 60 K the Y₃N@C₈₀ exhibits thermally activated delayed fluorescence with maximum emission at 120 K and a negligible prompt fluorescence. Below 60 K, a phosphorescence with a lifetime of 192±1 ms is observed. Spin distribution and dynamics in the triplet excited state is investigated with X‐ and W‐band EPR and ENDOR spectroscopies and DFT computations. Finally, electroluminescence of the Y₃N@C₈₀/PFO film is demonstrated opening the possibility for red‐emitting fullerene‐based organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs).     

Salvaging Reactive Fullerenes from Soot by Exohedral Derivatization

The awesome allotropy of carbon yields innumerable topologically possible cage structures of molecular carbon. This field is also related to endohedral metallofullerenes constructed by metal‐atom encapsulation. Stable and soluble empty fullerenes and endohedral metallofullerenes are available in pure form in macroscopic amounts from carbon arc production or other physical processes followed by extraction and subsequent chromatographic separation. However, many other unidentified fullerene species, which must be reactive and insoluble in their pristine forms, remain in soot. These “missing” species must have extremely small HOMO–LUMO gaps and may have unconventional cage structures. Recent progress in this field has demonstrated that reactive fullerenes can be salvaged by exohedral derivatization, which can stabilize the reactive carbon cages. This concept provides a means of preparing macroscopic amounts of unconventional fullerenes as their derivatives.