SBIR PHASE II: Production of Endohedral Metallofullerenes

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*** Wright 9527836 This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a continuous method for the production of endohedral metallofullerenes (fullerenes containing encapsulated metal atom(s)) and an economical method of separating them from the empty fullerenes. The metallofullerenes form a unique new class of molecules whose graphite like fullerene shell simultaneously protects the trapped, reactive metal atom from the outside environment while also provide a fullerene functional group that can be readily used for derivation or attachment of the metallofullerene to carrier molecules and substrates. Additionally, because of electronic interactions that occur between the trapped metal atom and the fullerene shell, the metallofullerenes are expected to possess a broad range of unusual electronic and magnetic properties. The metallofullerenes have potential applications in such diverse areas as superconductivity, nonlinear optics, and pharmaceuticals for medical imaging. Unfortunately, progress on the research and development of metallofullerene properties and applications has been slow due to the very high production costs. Metallofullerenes are currently produced by a batch process using carbon arc vaporization of doped graphite. The production costs using this method are so high that metallofullerenes are currently not commercially available. During Phase I of this project, a new, dramatically different synthesis method that is continuous, simple to operated, and scaleable to large industrially relevant capacities was developed. Phase II will improve the efficiency of this new process and investigate methods for scaling-up both production and purification of the metallofullerenes. The production and separation processes developed in this Phase II project are capable of meeting the research demands for metallofullerenes. In the long term, this new production method is projected to lower the cost of metallofullerenes to less than $10/gram and allow their use in medical i maging, nonlinear optics, novel superconductors, and a host of other applications. ***