1. FULLERENES
Aaron Koga
May 1, 2007
Physics 441

2. OUTLINE Introduction to Fullerenes Some properties
A few different fullerenes, applications, interesting things
C60
Endoheral fullerenes, bucky onions
Fullerite
Medicine

3. INTRODUCTION (History)
Discovered 1985, Kroto, Smalley, and Curl
Nobel Prize chemistry, 1996: 3 scientists for discovery of Fullerenes
Named after Richard Fuller (Architect)
Montreal Biosphere
by Fuller

4. INTRODUCTION (What is a Fullerene?)
Carbon allotropes
Hollow sphere (buckyball), ellipsoid, tube (buckytube, nanotube)
Similar structure to graphite:
Hexagons
Pentagons (curvature)
Euler: 12 pentagons to make sphere

5. INTRODUCTION (Production)
Before: vaporization laser
1990
Graphite electrodes
Fill chamber with He (inert gas), ~100 torr
Run current through graphite
Get black soot
~10% C60
Some larger fullerenes

6. PROPERTIES (Structure)
Stable, but not totally unreactive
In graphite:
sp2 bonding
Planar, 120o
Fullerenes:
[6,6] double bonds, hexagons
[6,5] single bonds, pentagons to hexagons
[6,6] are shorter than [6,5]
Sphere, so not planar  angle strain
Estimated that 80% of E-formation due to strain
Strain concentrated on pentagons  structures with out touching pentagons are more stable (C60)

7. PROPERTIES (Other) Slightly soluble in some solvents Toxic?
Toluene, carbon disulfide, etc.
In water: large clusters (nC60) of nm
Toxic?
2004: found increase in cellular damage to fish with ~.5ppm in water
2005: computer simulation found deformation of DNA by C60 in water
Wave-particle duality with λ=3pm, 1999

8. C60 Buckminster Fullerene
Smallest structure with no pentagons touching
~.7 nm diameter
Melting point ~ 550K

9. Endohedral Fullerenes
Have atoms, clusters, molecules inside
Endohedral Metallofullerenes:
Metals with the fullerene
1985: for “inside”)
Electrons donated by metal to C60
Different size charge transfers ex. (2 e-) vs. (6 e-)
Non-metal doped fullerenes:
Ex.
Forms when fullerene in ~3 atm of noble gas
Noble gas is exactly in center of structure

10. Bucky Onions One fullerene inside another Up to 70 layers observed
Nanotube generation normally produces some onions

11. Fullerite Bulk solid C60 FCC structure Ultrahard Fullerite:
310±40 GPa hardness
Diamond: <240 GPa (sometimes 150 GPa)

12. Fullerite A3C60, A6C60 Alkali metal cations for each sphere
3 metal holes (grey) per sphere (blue)
A3C60: conductor A6C60: insulator
at room temp

13. Fullerite A3C60 becomes super conducting
Lattice constant, ao, changes to accommodate the metal cation
Different Tc

14. Fullerenes in Medicine
Useful because of size, stability, hydrophobia
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) inhibitor
HIVP has cylindrical active site with hydrophobic amino acids
C60 is about same size as the cylinder
Possible inhibiting of HIVP
Drug delivery, attach to outside of cage
Improve MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging):
Gd3+ used to improve imaging, but toxic metal
When in fullerene even safer than current method
Stabilize other reactive species (not only in medicine)

15. References “Fullerene.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullerene
Unwin, Peter. “Fullerenes (an overview).”
Bleeke, John R. and Frey, Regina F. “Fullerene Science Module.”
“Bucky Onion.”
“Diffraction and Interference with Fullerenes.”
Dagani, Ron. “Cage Chemistry.”