Simple
Synthetic Method Toward Solid Supported C<sub>60</sub> Visible Light-Activated
Photocatalysts
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
Solid
supported fullerene materials are prepared in aims of creating
a fullerene-based photocatalyst that is capable of producing <sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> in the aqueous phase. Past studies of using
fullerene as a photocatalyst in water have exclusively focused on
using water soluble fullerene derivatives and employed sophisticated
chemistry to create immobilized fullerene materials. The method presented
herein is much less synthetically complex and utilizes pristine fullerene,
providing a drastically simpler route to supported fullerene materials
and furthering their potential for use in environmental applications.
Covalent immobilization was achieved through the nucleophilic addition
of a terminal amine (located on a solid support) across a [6,6] fullerene
double bond, resulting in attachment directly to C<sub>60</sub>’s
cage. Immobilization allowed supported fullerene moieties to produce <sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> in water under various illumination conditions
and inactivate MS2 bacteriophages. In a water with natural organic
matter, supported fullerene materials produced <sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> under visible light irradiation without exhibiting significant loss
of photocatalytic activity after successive cycling