Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.109, No.42, 19741-19747, 2005
Structural study of the self-assembled fullerene carboxylates: Monoadducts versus bisadducts
Laser light scattering and transmission electronic microscopy have been used to study the self-assembled structures of mono- and bisadducts of fullerene carboxylic acids in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and their sodium salts in aqueous solutions, respectively. In THF, the self-association of monoadducts of fullerene carboxylic acid (MFCA) produces large but narrowly distributed particles with < R-h> approximate to 145 nm. The self-aggregates from the bisadducts of fullerene carboxylic acid (BFCA) in THF are relatively small in size (< Rh > approximate to 80 nm) due to the better solubility. After the ionization of carboxylic acid groups on the C-60 cage in dilute NaOH solutions, these aggregates dissolved and reorganized. The self-assembly of the monoadducts of sodium carboxylate fullerenes (MSCF) produces small solid spherical particles with < Rh > approximate to 32 nm. The ratio of < R-g>/< Rh > approximate to 0.83 indicates that the particles have a nearly uniform density. The increase in concentrations leads to strong interparticle associations to form rodlike and irregularly shaped large aggregates. In contrast, the self-assembly of bisadducts of sodium carboxylate fullerenes (BSCF) results in hollow shells with mainly two different size scales of < R-h> approximate to 23 nm and < Rh > approximate to 104 nm. At high concentrations, the hollow shells associate and melt together to generate three-dimensional networks.