Clay-fulleropyrrolidine nanocomposites

In this work, we describe the insertion of a water-soluble bisadduct fulleropyrrolidine derivative into the interlayer space of three layered smectite clays. The composites were characterized by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission and FTIR spectroscopies, and laser flash photolysis measurements. The experiments, complemented by computer simulations, give insight into the formation process, structural details, and properties of the fullerene/clay nanocomposites. The reported composite materials constitute a new hybrid system, where C-60 differs from its crystals or its solutions, and open new perspectives for the design and construction of novel C-60-based organic/clay hybrid materials.</p

Dendrimer-Functionalized Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photoinduced Electron Transfer

We describe the synthesis and characterization of a series of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) functionalized with polyamidoamine dendrimers. Importantly, the dendrimers are linked directly to the SWNT surface using a divergent methodology. This approach allows the number of functional groups on the nanotubes to be increased without provoking significant damage to the conjugated p-system of the SWNTs

Nonlinear optical properties of ferrocene- and porphyrin-[60]fullerene dyads

A series of novel [60]fullerene-ferrocene and [60]fullerene-porphyrin dyads, in which a fullerene and an electron donating moiety are attached through a flexible triethylene glycol linker are synthesized and their nonlinear optical (NLO) response studied. Specifically the third-order susceptibility chi((3)) of all fullerene derivatives are measured in toluene solutions by the optical Kerr effect (OKE) technique using 532 nm, 35 ps laser pulses and their second hyperpolarizability gamma are determined. All fullerene dyads studied exhibit enhancement of their NLO response compared to pristine fullerenes which has been attributed to the formation of a charge separated state. All experimentally measured hyperpolarizability gamma values are also calculated by the semiempirical methods AM1 and PM3. A good correlation is found between the theoretical and experimental values, suggesting that simple semi-empirical methods can be employed for the designing and optimization of the fullerene-containing dyads displaying improved nonlinear responses

Synthesis, characterization, and photoinduced electron transfer in functionalized single wall carbon nanohorns

13nonenoneC. CIOFFI; S. CAMPIDELLI; C. SOOAMBAR; M. MARCACCIO; G. MARCOLONGO; M. MENEGHETTI; D. PAOLUCCI; F. PAOLUCCI; C. EHLI; G. M. A. RAHMAN; V. SGOBBA; D. M. GULDI; PRATO M.C., Cioffi; S., Campidelli; C., Sooambar; M., Marcaccio; G., Marcolongo; M., Meneghetti; D., Paolucci; F., Paolucci; C., Ehli; G. M. A., Rahman; V., Sgobba; D. M., Guldi; Prato, Maurizi