The document discusses the properties, synthesis, and applications of fullerenes, which are spherical or ellipsoidal molecules composed entirely of carbon. It describes the discovery and structure of C60 buckminsterfullerene and other fullerenes, as well as their physical and chemical properties. The document also outlines methods for synthesizing fullerenes using arc discharge and their potential applications in areas like catalysis, energy storage, and medicine.

1. Synthesis of
Carbon fullerene
Vishwakarma Government
Engineering College
Chandkheda, Gujarat
[Application of Nanotechnology]
Submitted to : Submitted by:
Prof. Milap Nayak Rahul Jarariya
Assistant Professor Krunal Patel
Vishal Mavani
Department of Chemical
Engineering

2. Content
2
• Introduction
• History
• Model of C60 fullerene
• Property of C60 fullerene
• Structure
• Physical and Chemical properties
• Types of fullerenes
• Species of fullerene
• Euler’s theorem
• Synthesis of fullerene
• Applications
• Conclusion

3. Fullerene
3
A fullerene is an allotrope of carbon whose
molecule consists of carbon atoms connected
by single and double bonds so as to form a
closed or partially closed mesh, with fused
rings of five to seven atoms.
The molecule may be a
hollow sphere, ellipsoid, tube, or many other
shapes and sizes.
Graphene (isolated atomic layers
of graphite), which is a flat mesh of
regular hexagonal rings, can be seen as an
extreme member of the family.

4. 4
• The existence of C60 was predicted by Eiji Osawa of
Toyohashi University of technology in a Japanese
magazine in 1970.
• With mass spectrometry, discrete peaks were observed
corresponding to molecules with the exact mass of sixty
and seventy or more carbon atoms.
• In 1985, James R. Health, Robert curl, and Richard
Smally, from Rice University discovered C60, and
shortly thereafter came to discover the fullerenes.
• Kroto, Curl, Smalley were awarded the 1996 Nobel
prices in Chemistry for their roles in their discovery of
this class of compounds.
• Minute quantity of fullerenes, in the form of C60, C70,
C76, and C84 molecules, are produced in nature, hidden
in soot formed by lightening discharges in the
atmosphere.
HISTORY

5. Model of the
C60
fullerene
5
• This is also known as Buckminsterfullerene or
Buckminster Fuller.
• C60, are also informally called buckyballs for their
resemblance to the standard ball of association football
("soccer").
• Cylindrical fullerenes are also called carbon
nanotubes or buckytubes.
• The bulk solid form of pure or mixed fullerenes is
called fullerite.
• It has a cage-like fused-ring structure (truncated
icosahedron) that resembles a soccer ball, made of
twenty hexagons and twelve pentagons.
• Small quantities of it can be found in soot.
• The molecule has also been detected in deep space.

6. • C60 molecule is known for its symmetry
property.
• C60 molecule has three types of rotation
axes. 5-fold rotational symmetry is the most
common.
• It is through the centers of two pentagons
which are facing each other. 3-fold rotation
symmetry axes are from the central point of
2-hexagonals which are facing each other.
• At last, 2-fold symmetric axes are through
the edge centers of 2-hexagons. Hence, it is
called the most symmetric molecule. 2-fold,
3-fold and 5-fold rotation symmetries of C60.
6
Property of
C60
Molecule

7. 7
The C70 fullerene model consists of 70 carbon
atoms. It resembles a rugby ball in shape and is
composed of 25 hexagons and 12 pentagons with
single and double bonds illustrated using different
color tubes.
Carbon 60 is the nearly spherical football-shaped
molecule consisting of 60 carbon atoms. It is also
known as the Buckyball and is the most stable
example of the fullerenes.
The model is composed of 12 pentagons and 20
hexagons with alternating double and single
bonds illustrated by different color tubes.
STRUCTURES

8. Physical
Properties
8
• Density (g.cm-3 ): 1.65
•
• Refractive index (600 nm): 2.2
•
• Boiling point: Sublimation occurs
at 800 K
• Resistivity (ohms m-1 ): 1014
• Vapour pressure (Torr): 5×10-6 at
room temperature: 8×10-4 at 800 K

9. Chemical
Properties
9
• Japanese workers Yoshinda and Osawa have proposed
a definition of a new class of conjugated molecules.
• The molecule of polyhedral form which contain electrons
in molecular orbital de-localised on the surface of a
three dimensional structure having an almost spherical
symmetry.
• They suggested that C60 molecule has the structure of
truncated icosahedron.
• This C60 molecule possesses a system of mobile electron
which contributes additional stabilization to polyhedron
as in benzene molecule.
• They produced the first quantitative estimates of
resonance energy for this unusual type of conjugated
molecule and concluded that C60 cluster has great
resonance energy than benzene molecule.
• Hence C60 molecule was assigned to a new class of
aromatic system

10. Types of
• BUCKYBALL CLUSTERS: Smallest member is C20
(unsaturated version of dodecahedrane) and the most
common is C60.
• NANOTUBES: Hollow tubes of very small dimensions,
having single or multiple walls; potential applications in
electronics industry.
• MEGATUBES: Larger in diameter than nanotubes and
prepared with walls of different thickness; potentially used
for the transport of a variety of molecules of different sizes.
• POLYMERS: Chain, two-dimensional and three-
dimensional polymers are formed under high-pressure high-
temperature conditions; single-strand polymers are formed
using the Atom Transfer Radical Addition Polymerization
(ATRAP) route.
• NANO"ONIONS": Spherical particles based on multiple
carbon layers surrounding a buckyball core; proposed for
lubricants.
• LINKED "BALL-AND-CHAIN" DIMERS: Two buckyballs
linked by a carbon chain.
10
Fullerene

11. Species of
Fullerene
1.Hetero fullerenes
2.Exohedral fullerenes
3.Endohedral fullerenes
11

12. Eluer’s
theorem
Understanding
structure of
fullerene
12

13. Eluer’s
theorem
The famous mathematician, Eluer’s found out a mathematical
relation between edges(E), vertexes(v), and Faces(F) of any
polyhedron as:
F + V = E + 2 (1)
Suppose,
P = number of pentagons
H = number of hexagons,
For any polyhedron then we have:
F = P + H
V = (5P + 6H)/3
E = (5P + 6H)/2
Now applying these relations in Euler’s relation in eq. 1 we have,
(P + H) + (5p + 6H)/3 = (5p + 6 H)/2 + 2
Continue:-
13

14. Fullerene
Arc Discharge Method
This is a pulsed arc discharge method of synthesis operated at high
temperature.
Parts of the apparatus are furnace for heating purpose, a tube made up of
quartz, electrodes of carbon, a trap which is water cooled and a high voltage
pulsed power input.
For annealing process of carbon clusters, a buffer gas is allowed to pass
through the quartz tube.
The tube temperature is between 25 and 1000℃. The flow rate of the buffer gas
is maintained at 300 cm3 /s. Pressure of the buffer gas is maintained at 500
Torr.
The input power supply provides pulsated high voltage of 1.1 kV, 22 A and 50–
300 sec duration.
14
Synthesis for

15.  This method, electrode at negative terminal is
consumed.
 The carbon after condensation is annealed to
form fullerenes.
 The fullerene and other carbon particles are then
collected on the water cooled trap. Analysis of
fullerenes is done by high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC).
 The present HPLC system can detect fullerenes at
low concentrations. Dependencies of fullerene
concentration on temperature, HV pulse duration
and buffer gas species are measured.
15
Fullerene
Synthesis for
Continue:-

16. • CATALYSTS
- Marked ability to accept and to transfer hydrogen
atoms; hydrogenation and hydrodealkylations. Highly
effective in promoting the conversion of methane into
higher hydrocarbons. Inhibits coking reactions.
• WATER PURIFICATION & BIO-HAZARD
PROTECTION
- Singlet oxygen catalysis of organics with fullerene C60.
• PORTABLE POWER
- Proton exchange membranes for fuel cells.
• VEHICLES
- Enhanced durability, lower heat build-up, better fuel
economy with use of fullerene black/rubber compounds.
• MEDICAL
- MRI agents. 16
APPLICATIONS

17. CONCLUSIONS
17
• This basic information of structural
configuration of fullerenes, their various
properties, synthesis and useful applications.
• Synthesis of fullerenes is done by using arc
discharge method and analyzed by using high
performance liquid chromatography.
• These can be used in organic photovoltaic (OPV),
vehicles compound, medical purpose,
antioxidants and biopharmaceuticals and
polymer additives.

18. REFERENCES
18
 Kroto HW, Heath JR, Obrien SC, et al. C60:
Buckminsterfullerene. Nature. 1985
 Sano N, Wang H, Chhowalla M, et al. Synthesis of
Carbon 'Onions' in Water. Nature. 2001
 Osawa E. Super-aromaticity. Kagaku. 1970.
 Yadav BC, Kumar R. Structure, Properties and
Applications of Fullerenes. Int J Nano-technol
Appl. 2008.
 Fullerene: Properties, Synthesis and Application,
Research & Reviews: Journal of Physics ISSN:
2278-2265 (Online), ISSN: 2347-9973, Jyoti
Yadav* Department of Physics, Indira Gandhi
University, Meerpur, Rewari, Haryana, India.
 NanoHub

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