Fullerenes for Photovoltaics and Biotechnology

Fullerenes are an allotrope of carbon and are known for their hollow, cage-like structures. They are composed entirely of carbon atoms that form closed, convex polyhedra. The atoms are bonded together to form hexagonal and pentagonal rings, like the pattern found on a soccer ball or geodesic dome.

Fullerene C6o exhibits unique structural, chemical, electronic, and thermal properties. This is due to its highly symmetrical icosahedral structure that contains a mixture of single and double bonds. All fullerenes have partial electron sharing across the molecule and a high affinity for electrons.

Today, fullerenes are made using three main methods; Huffman-Krätschmer, combustion and microwave. Chemical synthesis techniques, such as laser irradiation and pyrolysis, offer exciting possibilities for producing fullerene derivatives that were previously not accessible.

Fullerene and its derivatives are used in chemical, electronic, medicinal, and biological sciences due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Fullerene, also known as C60 or buckminsterfullerene, is a type of carbon allotrope that has properties that can be tuned depending on what it will be used for.

Water-soluble fullerenes, such as fullerenol C60, are either chemically modified, polymer grafted, or encapsulated in a hydrophillic agent. Fullerenes can then disperse or solubilize in aqueous media.

Polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells are based on blends of semiconducting polymers and fullerene derivatives, such as PCBM. It is described as a bulk heterojunction as it involves a blend of two materials with differing energy band gaps, forming a dispersed, interpenetrating network.