C60 fullerene, a magic material

The molecular structure of C60 is spherical 32-hedron,It is a football-shaped hollow symmetrical molecule with 30 carbon-carbon double bonds (C=C) composed of 60 carbon atoms connected by 20 six-membered rings and 12 five-membered rings. Fullerenes are also known as footballenes.

Applications of fullerenes：

1. Application in hard materials

The cage-like structure of fullerene C60 gives it special stability, Fullerenes are harder than diamonds and 100 times more ductile (ductility) than steel. Since fullerenes are easily soluble in polar organic molecular solvents such as benzene and toluene, the complex surface can be directly immersed in the prepared solution at room temperature, and a film of fullerene molecules is left after the solvent evaporates.

Fullerene has a unique property, C60 sublimates at 600 °C, so for irregularly shaped surfaces, C60 gaseous deposition method can also easily achieve fullerene molecular films on the surface of the material. If the mixed gas of natural gas and hydrogen is added in the "C60 gaseous deposition", their carbon bonds have something in common, so the C60 molecule will grow up, thereby obtaining a large-grained diamond particle film.

The method also inspired people to use fullerenes to make large-particle "synthetic diamonds".

Diamond films have many applications, such as gears with high hardness surfaces, high-strength fibers covered with diamond thin layers for wire sawing, armored vehicles covered with diamond thin layers for impact resistance, and so on.

2. Fullerenes are used in super lubricants and abrasives

Because C60 is spherical in shape, it is the roundest of all molecules. At the molecular level, C60 molecules are extremely hard and stable, so some people imagine using it as "molecular balls" to make lubricants.

C60F60 obtained by fully fluorinating C60 is a super high temperature resistant material.

This white powdery substance is a better lubricant than C60 and can be widely used in high-tech fields.

3. Chemical modification and denaturation of fullerenes

The most active research on fullerenes is to chemically modify them to obtain materials with special properties, such as chemical modification on the outer layer of C60, adding "hydrogen bonds", "oxygen bonds" and "photoactive atoms" to the outer layer. ", appending "metal atoms", etc.

4. Applications in electricity and magnetism

C60 itself is basically non-conductive, but after inserting alkali metals (lithium, sodium, potassium, ruthenium, cesium) or alkaline earth metals (beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium) between C60 and C60, the new compound The electrical conductivity changes dramatically, and some can become metallic conductors, and some even become superconductors.

The rare earth element "gadolinium" wrapped by C60 and C82 is a material with special optoelectronic and magnetic properties. Some people make it into a polymer with polyethylene, and experiments have shown that it has excellent performance as a flash memory.

If carbon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes are used as aircraft surface coatings, millimeter-wave and micron-wave radars cannot detect them.

5. Applications in optics

Like graphene, C60 itself can accept visible light in a wide range and has a high photoelectric conversion rate, which is a good material for photosensitive elements.

By combining some material molecules with good optical properties with C60, better optical materials will be obtained. Some people have studied optical materials with strong absorption in special frequency bands. For example, the "pump" in optical transmission needs to be excited in special frequency bands; some people have studied optical materials with weak absorption in special frequency bands, or restricted passage of special frequency bands The optical material, such as the further tube bundle of the laser, is only limited to a certain width, and it is also used to protect the human eye and other optical devices.

With such materials that limit the frequency of light, pure optical spectroscopic devices can be made.

6. Application in catalytic performance

Fullerenes themselves are catalysts for certain chemical reactions. Some people combine it with other catalysts, which can strengthen the catalytic effect of a certain reaction, and can also catalyze a variety of reactions. Someone has also made a catalyst for catalytic combustion.

7. Application in hydrogen storage and oxygen storage

The hydrogenated compounds of fullerenes are very stable, and they can be used to safely collect and store hydrogen in large quantities. As a material for hydrogen storage, it can be used in hydrogen purification, absorption, hydrogen combustion engines and "hydrogen-air fuel cells". It has an important position in clean energy.

60 can also be used to store oxygen and will play an important role in absorbing, purifying and storing oxygen.

8. Application in medicine and cosmetics

Fullerenes can bind very efficiently to "free radicals", Free radicals are one of the main causes of human aging. Therefore, fullerenes are used to make cosmetics, which have the functions of removing free radicals, activating skin cells, anti-wrinkle, whitening and anti-aging.

A large number of experiments have proved that fullerene is not toxic for external use and internal use.

Experiments have found that fullerenes have a killing effect on a key viral enzyme of AIDS without harming the host cells. Scientists believe that fullerenes will provide potentially intriguing clues for the study of anti-cancer drugs.

9. Application in high-energy bombardment of particles

C60 can gain or lose electrons to form ions, which are used as high-energy bombarding particles for physical collisions. Due to the large mass and volume of C60 ions, high-energy C60 ion beams cannot penetrate the solid target when bombarding the solid target, but stay in a superficial position, thereby applying a large amount of energy to the solid surface, which is helpful to study the surface layer of the solid target resulting physical changes. In addition, C60 ion beam bombardment may also induce molecular beam fusion.

Uyanchem is the professional manufacturer of fullerenes, we can provide fullerenes and fullerene derivatives in different purity grades. We can provide C60, C70 and their derivatives with different purity grades.