Fullerene Derivatives and Endohedral Fullerenes:From Supramolecular SelfAssembled Structures to Molecular Electronics

克莱姆森大学的Luis Echegoyen教授得到了分析和表面化学计划的支持，用于设计和合成新型富勒烯化合物，用于分子电子学和光伏能量转换。目标是增加关于如何利用氮配体基团衍生的富勒烯来操纵电子转移的知识。 我们的想法是使用一整套衍生物与各种各样的金属离子连接体一起作为组装超分子结构的“分子修补玩具”。 该小组正在逐层地在金属表面上生长自组装单层，根据所需的特性改变连接金属离子和相应的富勒烯衍生物。 其他的合成工作正在进行，从内嵌富勒烯开始，它包含被困在碳笼中的其他原子。 一种新的纯化策略正在寻求一个新的反应的基础上，涉及从表面去除吡咯烷加合物。 这项工作是与西班牙马德里孔普卢顿大学的Nazario Martin教授合作进行的。 此外，与墨西哥克雷塔罗电化学研究和技术开发中心的Luis Godinez博士合作，正在研究含有富勒烯的树枝状聚合物膜的光伏应用。富勒烯或“巴基球”是一类相对较新的分子，在溶液中进行大量可逆的电子转移。 将这些分子耦合到表面有可能导致光伏应用（如太阳能电池）的突破，并将进一步发展新型分子电子器件。

Professor Luis Echegoyen of Clemson University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry program for the design and synthesis of novel fullerene compounds for applications in molecular electronics and photovoltaic energy conversion. The goal is to add to knowledge about how electron-transfer might be manipulated, using fullerenes derivitized with nitrogen-ligand groups. The idea is to use the complete set of derivatives together with a large variety of metal ion linkers as a "molecular tinkertoy" for the assembly of supramolecular architectures. The group is growing self-assembled monolayers on metal surfaces on a layer-by-layer basis, changing the linking metal ions and the corresponding fullerene derivatives, depending on the desired properties. Other synthetic work is being carried out starting with endohedral fullerenes, which contain groups of other atoms trapped inside the carbon cage. A new purification strategy is being sought based on a new reaction involving the removal of pyrrolidine adducts from the surface. This work is being performed in collaboration with Prof. Nazario Martin from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain. Further, dendrimeric films containing fullerenes are being studied for photovoltaic applications in collaboration with Dr. Luis Godinez from the Research and Technological Development Center for Electrochemistry in Queretaro, Mexico.Fullerenes or "Buckyballs" are a relatively new class of molecules that undergo a large number of reversible electron transfers in solution. Coupling these molecules to surfaces has the potential to lead to breakthroughs in photovoltaic applications such as solar cells, and will further the development of novel molecular electronic devices.