MIT Researchers Create Multi Purpose Nano-Tethers for Fullerene and Nanotube Functionality and Reel in New Patent

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) materials scientists have developed nanofabrication methods to separate and functionalize fullerenic materials as small as one nanometer with chemical tethers for a variety of purposes from coatings to compounds to biological applications.  Fullerenes are notoriously difficult to separate from other materials to which they are often strongly bound

FIG. 8 is an  MIT HRTEM image of a pure C60 sample at 5 nanometers (nm).

 FIG. 8 is an HRTEM (high resolution transmission electron microscope) image of a pure C60 sample. precipitated from solution directly onto the TEM grid. The C60 molecules have taken a crystalline form with a two-fold symmetry that is visible. Comparing the length scale to the black centers of the individual molecules reveals a diameter of about 0.7 nm as expected for C60 molecules. The measured center-to-center distance between the molecules is 1.01 nm along two of the crystallographic directions and 1.14 nm along the third direction. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) was awarded U.S. Patent 7,641,882 for nanofabrication techniques to produce fullerenic structures and such structures tethered to carbon materials

Inventors Anish Goel, ering Jack B. Howard (Director, EPA Center on Airborne Organics. Associate Director, MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences Professor of Chemical Engine) and John Vander Sande  manufactured fullerenic structures including fullerenes having molecular weights less than that of C60 with the exception of C36 and fullerenes having molecular weights greater than C60. Examples include fullerenes C50, C58, C130, and C176.

Fullerenic structure chemically bonded to a carbon surface is also disclosed along with a method for tethering fullerenes to a carbon material by the inventors. The method includes adding functionalized fullerene to a liquid suspension containing carbon material, drying the suspension to produce a powder, and heat treating the powder. Fullerenes bound to carbon black pigment would be useful for making an improved ink for use in an inkjet printer. 

 FIG. 1 is an HRTEM image of a particle from a pure carbon black sample.

FIG. 2 is an HRTEM image of a particle from a post-extraction tethered fullerene sample.
   

 FIG. 4 is an HRTEM image of flame soot with gold island deposits and showing structures smaller than C60.

FIG. 5 is an HRTEM image of flame soot showing structures both larger and smaller than C60. 

The MIT method tethers fullerene molecules by chemical bonding to a carbon surface. The method can be used to tether fullerenes to the same or other fullerenes or fullerene derivatives including endohedral fullerenes and metallized fullerenes, fullerenic nanostructures including single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, nested or onion structures or spherical, ellipsoidal, trigonous or other shapes, single- and multi-layered open cage structures of various radii of curvature, fullerenic soot and fullerenic black; and any form of graphitic carbon; any form of diamond; and any form of diamond-like carbon; and any form of amorphous carbon.

The method is applicable to the situation in which the fullerene being tethered is a fullerene derivative or functionalized fullerene containing a functional group chosen so as to give the functionalized fullerene, and in turn the surface or material to which it is tethered, desired properties such as: acidic, basic, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, oxidizing, reducing, radical, metallic, electrical, magnetic, or other structural, chemical, biological or physical properties. It will also be appreciated that the tethers may differ in length, stiffness, electrical conductivity or other properties.

For example, tethers of different lengths may be achieved by the use of chemical chains, such as aliphatic hydrocarbon chains of different lengths and tethers of different stiffness may be achieved by the use of chemical structures such as alkane, alkene, alkyne, fused or cross-linked aromatic structures, etc.