Fullerenes Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This work aims at assessing the influence of two different solvents, bidistilled water and toluene, on dispersions of carbon-based engineered nanomaterials, namely, fullerenes, and their self-assembly behavior. The obtained self-assembled carbon-based materials were characterized using UV−vis spectrophotometry and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The results obtained were unexpected when toluene was used for dispersing fullerene C 60 , with the formation of two different types of self-assembled structures: fullerene C 60 nanowhiskers (FNWs) and a type of quasispherical nanostructure. The FNWs ranged between 1 and 6 μm in length, whereas the quasispherical fullerene C 60 nanoaggregates ranged between 10 and 50 nm in diameter. Aggregates obtained in toluene showed a well-formed crystal structure. When using water, the obtained aggregates were amorphous and showed a no well-defined shape. Their sizes ranged between 20 and 40 nm for nanosized structures and between 0.4 and 4.8 μm for micron-sized self-aggregates.

- by Francesco Paolucci
- •
- Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Carbon Nanotubes

The synthesis of fullerenes was carried out using dc arc discharge technique. The separation and identification of higher fullerene C 84 was done by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The raw soot collected from the high temperature region was dissolved in toluene and then toluene-extracted soot dissolved in n-hexane and kept in laboratory environment for more than one month. The peaks of C 60 and C 70 along with C 84 were observed. The existence of C 84 was confirmed by using linear regression between capacity factor log [k′] and the carbon number.

- by sajid ali
- •
- Engineering, Nanomaterials, Fullerenes, Catalyst

Using organic materials in spintronic devices raises a lot of expectation for future applications due to their flexibility, low cost, long spin lifetime, and easy functionalization. However, the interfacial hybridization and spin polarization between the organic layer and the ferromagnetic electrodes still has to be understood at the molecular scale. Coupling state-of-the-art spinpolarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy and spin-resolved ab initio calculations, we give the first experimental evidence of the spin splitting of a molecular orbital on a single non magnetic C 60 molecule in contact with a magnetic material, namely, the Cr(001) surface. This hybridized molecular state is responsible for an inversion of sign of the tunneling magnetoresistance depending on energy. This result opens the way to spin filtering through molecular orbitals.

- by Sylvie Rousset and +1
- •
- Multidisciplinary, Fullerenes, Computer Simulation, Magnetic Fields

Many applications of fullerene, metallofullerene, and carbon nanotubes request the chemical modifications. But how the modification influences the stability, structural and electronic properties that directly relate to the practical functions of the carbon nanomaterials, this issue is discussed in this paper. The outer chemical modifications can sensitively influence the stability of final derivatives of fullerenes, depending on parameters such as the number of the modified groups, the unintended impurity groups on the cage surface, and chemical conditions in synthesizing processes. The outer chemical modification can induce alteration in electronic properties of metallofullerene. Gd@C 82 is taken as a model to show how the electronic properties of the encaged metal atom are modulated by the cage surface modification. There exist sandwich-type electronic interactions along pathway: [outer modification group]-[cage surface]-[inner atom], and their synergistic effects are

- by Jun Tang
- •
- Engineering, Chemistry, Technology, Electrochemistry

In the environmental technology industry alone, nanomaterials will enable new means of reducing the production of industrial wastes, using resources more sparingly, remediating industrial contamination, providing potable water, and improving the efficiency of energy production. This paper discusses three new kinds of nanotechnology materials that should be developed in the future: Membranes, oxidants, and adsorbents. Nanoscale control of membrane architecture may yield membranes of greater selectivity and lower cost in both water treatment and water fabrication. Fullerene-based oxidant nanomaterials such as C60 have a high electron affinity and reactivity, and are capable of producing reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen and superoxides. Fullerenes might be used in engineered systems to photocatalytically oxidize organic contaminants, or inhibit or inactivate microbes. The ability to tailor surfaces can help to increase adsorbing capacities or recognize specific contaminants. The potential environmental risks are that nanomaterials could interact with biota and that their toxicity adversely may affect ecosystems. As nanochemistry emerges as an important force behind new environmental technologies, we are also presented with the responsibility of considering the environmental implications of an emerging technology at its inception and taking every precaution to ensure that these technologies develop as tools of sustainability rather than becoming future liabilities.

- by Mark Wiesner and +2
- •
- Filtration, Nanotechnology, Adsorption, Biological Sciences

Synthesis and processing techniques have now been established for obtaining high quality monodisperse nanocrystals of various metallic and semiconducting materials, fullerenes of distinct properties, single-and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, polymeric dendrimers with tailored functionalities, as well as other nanophase constructs. The next key step towards novel applications of nanostructured materials concerns their positioning, arrangement, and connection into functional networks without mutual aggregation. In this review, we highlight the recent progress of using anthraceneand pyrene-based self-assembling molecules with tunable energetic (-interactions, hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole interactions) and variable geometries to create stable, highly ordered, and rigid self-assembled monolayer (SAM) templates with adjustable superlattices on crystalline substrates. Based on aromatic SAM templates, stable and highly ordered self-assembled structures of optoelectronically active C 60 have been obtained and shown to exhibit desirable electrical and optoelectronic properties, such as nonlinear transporting effect for molecular electronics and efficient photocurrent generation for mimicking photosynthesis in nature. By using genetically engineered polypeptides with surface recognition for specific inorganics, selective integration of nanoparticles onto aromatic SAM templates have also been realized. Through a combination of spatially confined surface chemical reaction and microcontact printing, sub-micron arrays of peptide-organic hybrid conjugates were successfully generated to serve as templates to achieve the patterned assembly of nanoparticles.

- by Hadi Zareie
- •
- Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Technology, Electronics

In this work, we describe the insertion of a water-soluble bisadduct fulleropyrrolidine derivative into the interlayer space of three layered smectite clays. The composites were characterized by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission and FTIR spectroscopies, and laser flash photolysis measurements. The experiments, complemented by computer simulations, give insight into the formation process, structural details, and properties of the fullerene/clay nanocomposites. The reported composite materials constitute a new hybrid system, where C60 differs from its crystals or its solutions, and open new perspectives for the design and construction of novel C60-based organic/clay hybrid materials.

- by Petra Rudolf
- •
- Nanocomposites, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Fullerenes, Computer Simulation

Water is a most crucial and limited resource on the Earth, which has contaminated due to the addition of heavy metals, pathogens, pesticides, and many organic and inorganic substances. Currently, the research has been focused on the sustainable remediation approach for waste reclamation. Therefore, an affordable technology of wastewater treatment could tackle the problem of water. Nanotechnology is an efficient, affordable, effective, and durable method for water treatment. Nanomaterials have several properties such as specific surface area, high reactivity, high degree of functionalization, size-dependent properties, etc., which make them appropriate materials in wastewater treatment. The present chapter comprehensively describes the characteristics of different nanomaterials and their role in the restoration of aquatic ecosystem.

- by Nazish Tabassum
- •
- Nanofabrication, Nanomaterials, Nano Composites, Environmental Pollution
- by asd haidar
- •
- Fullerenes

Fullerenes are chemical structures made of carbon atoms. The stable form is molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a soccer ball-shaped structure. With respect to its electron donor and acceptor capability and photochemical behavior fullerenes can be effective antioxidants and radical scavengers or prooxidants and photosensitizers. These properties of fullerenes have paid attention on their possible biological applications. Results of previous studies point to the great dependance of fullerenes activity upon quality, quantity and geometry of substituents in fullerene derivatives. Some of fullerene derivatives show antiviral and antimicrobial activity, including anti-HIV properties. C60 and its derivatives are able to exhibit cytotoxic and enzyme-inhibiting abilities as well as radical-quenching and antioxidative abilities. Generation of reactive oxygen species under influence of visible light is another ability of fullerene derivetives desired in photodynamic therapy.

- by Anita Krokosz
- •
- Photochemistry, Carbon, Antioxidants, Fullerenes

Oxidative stress plays a major role in acne formation, suggesting that oxygen radical scavengers are potential therapeutic agents. Fullerene is a spherical carbon molecule with strong radical sponge activity; therefore, we studied the effectiveness of fullerene gel in treating acne vulgaris. We performed an open trial using a fullerene gel twice a day; at 4 and 8 weeks, the mean number of inflammatory lesions (erythematous papules and pustules) significantly (P b 0.05) decreased from 16.09 ± 9.08 to 12.36 ± 7.03 (reduction rate 23.2%) and 10.0 ± 5.62 (reduction rate 37.8%), respectively. The number of pustules, consisting of accumulation of neutrophils, was significantly (P b 0.05) decreased from 1.45 ± 1.13 to 0.18 ± 0.60 (reduction rate 87.6%), and further in vitro assays of sebum production in hamster sebocytes revealed that 75 μM polyvinylpyrrolidone-fullerene inhibits sebum production, suggesting that fullerene suppresses acne through decreasing neutrophil infiltration and sebum production. After treatment for 8 weeks, the water content of the skin significantly (P b 0.05) increased from 51.7 ± 7.9 to 60.4 ± 10.3 instrumental units. Therefore, the fullerene gel may help in controlling acne vulgaris with skin care benefit.

- by Shigeki Inui
- •
- Technology, Oxidative Stress, Biological Sciences, Fullerenes
- by marko virsek
- •
- Engineering, Advanced Materials, Fullerenes, Physical sciences

60]Fullerene derivatives (dioctadecyl methano [60]fullerene, [60]fullerenoacetic acid, and IDA-[60]fullerene) were prepared and subjected to a comprehensive characterization study including protein binding properties and capacity. These fullerene derivatives were successfully applied as materialenhanced laser desorption/ionization (MELDI) carrier materials. It is shown that diverse functionalities result in characteristic human serum peak patterns (m/z 2000-20 000) in terms of signal intensity as well as the number of detectable masses. In addition, the fullerene derivatives clearly provided differences in the low molecular weight mass region (m/z 1000-4000) after elution of the adsorbed serum constituents, and [60]fullerenoacetic acid was the most effective carrier material. Novel highspeed, monolithic, high-resolution capillary columns, prepared by thermally initiated copolymerization of methylstyrene (MSt) and 1,2-bis(p-vinylphenyl)ethane (BVPE) were employed for eluate separation and target spotting. Thus, serum compounds in the low-mass range were successfully fractionated and subjected to MALDI-MS/MS analysis. This contribution, hence, proposes a new "top-down" strategy for proteome research enabling protein profiling as well as biomarker identification in the low-mass range using selective enrichment, high-resolution separation, and offline MALDI-MS/MS evaluation. Keywords: derivatized fullerenes • protein profiling • MELDI • low-mass serum constituents • monolithic MSt/ BVPE capillaries • µ-LC • MALDI-TOF MS/MS

- by Matthias Rainer
- •
- Proteomics, Polymers, Adsorption, Biological Sciences

Carbon atoms self-assemble into the famous soccer-ball shaped Buckminsterfullerene (C 60), the smallest fullerene cage that obeys the isolated-pentagon rule (IPR). Carbon atoms self-assemble into larger (n > 60 vertices) empty cages as well-but only the few that obey the IPR-and at least 1 small fullerene (n < 60) with adjacent pentagons. Clathrin protein also self-assembles into small fullerene cages with adjacent pentagons, but just a few of those. We asked why carbon atoms and clathrin proteins self-assembled into just those IPR and small cage isomers. In answer, we described a geometric constraint-the head-to-tail exclusion rule-that permits self-assembly of just the following fullerene cages: among the 5,769 possible small cages (n < 60 vertices) with adjacent pentagons, only 15; the soccer ball (n ‫؍‬ 60); and among the 216,739 large cages with 60 < n < 84 vertices, only the 50 IPR ones. The last finding was a complete surprise. Here, by showing that the largest permitted fullerene with adjacent pentagons is one with 60 vertices and a ring of interleaved hexagons and pentagon pairs, we prove that for all n > 60, the head-to-tail exclusion rule permits only (and all) fullerene cages and nanotubes that obey the IPR. We therefore suggest that self-assembly that obeys the IPR may be explained by the head-to-tail exclusion rule, a geometric constraint.

- by Stan Schein
- •
- Multidisciplinary, Fullerenes, Nanotubes, Clathrin

Rational design is applied in the discovery of novel lead drugs. Its rapid development is mainly attributed to the tremendous advancements in the computer science, statistics, molecular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics experienced in the last few decades. The promising feature that characterizes the application of rational drug design is that it uses for developing potential leads in drug discovery all known theoretical and experimental knowledge of the system under study. The utilization of the knowledge of the molecular basis of the system ultimately aims to reduce human power cost, time saving and laboratory expenses in the drug discovery. In this review paper various strategies applied for systems which include: (i) absence of knowledge of the receptor active site; (ii) the knowledge of a homology model of a receptor, (iii) the knowledge of the experimentally determined (i.e. X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy) coordinates of the active site of the protein in absence and (iv) the presence of the ligand will be analyzed.

- by Catherine Koukoulitsa
- •
- Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Leukemia, Cannabinoids, Fullerenes
- by Robert Metzger
- •
- Production, Carbon, Catalysts, Composite Materials

- by Dr. Vivek K . Chaturvedi and +1
- •
- Nanofabrication, Nanomaterials, Nano Composites, Environmental Pollution

The sonication-driven dispersion of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in aqueous surfactant solution has been monitored by UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Time dependent sonication experiments reveal that the maximum achievable dispersion of MWCNTs corresponds to the maximum UV–vis absorbance of the solution. With higher surfactant concentration the dispersion rate of MWCNTs increases and less total sonication energy is required to achieve maximum dispersion. Dispersion of higher MWCNT concentrations requires higher total sonication energy. For eﬀective dispersion the minimum weight ratio of surfactant to
MWCNTs is 1.5–1. The surfactant molecules are adsorbed on the surface of the MWCNTs and prevent re-aggregation of MWCNTs so that a colloidal stability of MWCNT dispersions could be maintained for several months. The maximum concentration of MWCNTs that can be homogeneously dispersed in aqueous solution is about 1.4 wt%.

- by Abdur Rehman Jalil
- •
- Chemistry, Surfactant Science & Technology, Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene

A kinetic mechanism is constructed for the formation of fullerenes C60 and C70 in flames, based on types of reactions used in describing growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and including additional chemical processes needed to describe evolution of the unique structural features of fullerenes. The mechanism consists of types of reactions, each characterized by an approximate rate coefficient, including processes for ring formation (via H atom abstraction, C2H2 addition, and cyclization leading to ring closing), reactive coagulation of aromatic molecules, and cage closing via H2 elimination and ring closing but also allowing for additional processes such as intramolecular rearrangements. Curved PAH, including benzo[ghi]fluoranthene (C~SHIO) and dibenzo-[ghi,mno]fluoranthene (corannulene, CzoHlo), are likely fullerene precursors. Corannulene is considered a key intermediate in the fullerene formation mechanism. Although alternatives to corannulene as an intermediate are mentioned, the proposed mechanism is based on corannulene and other related PAH of C5, symmetry.

- by Christopher J Pope
- •
- Thermodynamics, Combustion, Fullerenes, Combustion Chemistry

Editorial v 01. General articles on nanodiamonds I 01.01. Early history (until 1988) 1 01.02. Reviews 3 01.03. Monographs 4 01.04. Proceedings of conferences 4 01.05 Popular science articles 5 02. Synthesis of nanodiamonds 6 02.0 1. Theory of detonation synthesis of nanodiamonds 6 02.02. Experimental features of detonations synthesis of nanodiamonds 9 02.03. Methods of post-synthesis treatment (purification of nanodiamonds or selection or isolation of nanodiamonds from detonation carbon) 1I 02.04. Other means of synthesis of nanodiamonds 12 02.04.01 Shock wave compression of carbon phases 13 02.04.02. Irradiation of carbon species 14 02.04.03. Homogeneous formation in a gas phase 14 02.04.04. Carbide derived (clorination) 15 03. Models for formation of nanodiamonds 16 03.01. Carbon phase diagram at the Nanoscale 16 03.02. Computer simulations of formation of nanodiamonds 16 03.03. Stability of nanodiamonds 17 03.04 Models of nanodiamond formation by other means than detonation synthesis 18 04. Physical properties of nanodiamonds 04.01. Structure of nanodiamonds 04.02. Mechanical properties 04.03 Phase transitions 04.04 Optical properties 04.05 Electronic properties 05. Modification of nanodiamond surface 05.01 Properties of nanodiamond surface 05.02 Chemical modification of surface 05.03 Aggregation (assemblies) of nanodiamonds 05.04 Suspension of nanodiamonds 05.04.01. Electrophoretic deposition of nanodiamonds 1ii 06. Experimental methods for investigation of nanodiamonds 33 02.01 X-ray diffraction 33 02.02 Small angle X-ray scattering 33 02.03 Raman scattering 33 02.04 Electron microscopy 34 02.05 Other methods for characterization of nanodiamonds 07. Impurities and structural defects in nanodiamonds 36 08. Nanodiamond films by CVD 37 09. Applications of nanodiamonds of detonation synthesis 09.01. Nanodiamonds for seeding at CVD diamond films growth 09.02. Nanodiamonds for electroplating 09.03. Composites based on nanodiamonds 09.04. Antifriction coatings from nanodiamonds 50 09,05. Nanodiamonds for polishing 09.06. Bioactivity of nanodiamond 09.07. Nanodiamonds as adsorbents 09.08. Other applications 10. Nanographite, carbon onions and other nanodiamond-derived materials 10.01. Nanographite and low-dimensional carbon 10.02. Carbon onions 11. Diamond Nanorods 12. Nanodiamonds in Nature 13. Inventions and Patents 14. Companies and Centers producing nanodiamond of detonation synthesis (websites) 71 15. Scientific groups working in area of detonation nanodiamond

- by Alexander Vul
- •
- Carbon Nanotubes, Nanotechnology, Thin Films, Fullerenes
- by Constantinos D Zeinalipour-Yazdi
- •
- Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, Fullerenes, Graphite

Synthesis and processing techniques have now been established for obtaining high quality monodisperse nanocrystals of various metallic and semiconducting materials, fullerenes of distinct properties, single-and multi-wall carbon nanotubes, polymeric dendrimers with tailored functionalities, as well as other nanophase constructs. The next key step towards novel applications of nanostructured materials concerns their positioning, arrangement, and connection into functional networks without mutual aggregation. In this review, we highlight the recent progress of using anthraceneand pyrene-based self-assembling molecules with tunable energetic ( -interactions, hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole interactions) and variable geometries to create stable, highly ordered, and rigid self-assembled monolayer (SAM) templates with adjustable superlattices on crystalline substrates. Based on aromatic SAM templates, stable and highly ordered self-assembled structures of optoelectronically active C 60 have been obtained and shown to exhibit desirable electrical and optoelectronic properties, such as nonlinear transporting effect for molecular electronics and efficient photocurrent generation for mimicking photosynthesis in nature. By using genetically engineered polypeptides with surface recognition for specific inorganics, selective integration of nanoparticles onto aromatic SAM templates have also been realized. Through a combination of spatially confined surface chemical reaction and microcontact printing, sub-micron arrays of peptide-organic hybrid conjugates were successfully generated to serve as templates to achieve the patterned assembly of nanoparticles.

- by Mehmet Zeki Sarikaya
- •
- Engineering, Organic Chemistry, Technology, Electronics
- by Giovanni Bottari and +1
- •
- Carbon, Photosynthesis, Fullerenes, Solar Energy

The invention of carbon and its allotropes have transformed the electronic and optoelectronic industry due to their encouraging properties in a large spectrum of applications. The interesting characteristic of carbon is its ability to form many allotropes due to its valency. In recent decades, various allotropes and forms of carbon have been invented, including fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene (GR). Since the inception of nanotechnology, carbon allotropes-based nanocomposites have become a leading sector of research and advancement due to their unique bonding properties. Fullerenes and CNTs-based polymer nanocomposites have attracted significant research interest due to their vast applications in every sphere of science and technology. Current research impetus reveals that carbon and its allotropes have revolutionized the industry and academia due to their fascinated properties. Recent advances in various aspects of graphene, CNTs, graphene nanoribbons, fullerenes, carbon encapsulates, and their nanocomposites with polymeric materials and their different applications are reported in this review article. Also, current status and future prospects of graphene-based polymer nanocomposites are presented in common along with proper citations extracted from the scientific literature. Moreover, this article is a unique collection of vital information about GR, CNTs, fullerenes, and graphene-based polymer nanocomposites in a single platform.

- by Santosh Tiwari
- •
- Graphic Design, Graphene, Fullerenes, Application of CNTs in electrochemistry

This research uses computational simulations using SIESTA (Spanish Initiative for Electronic Simulations with Thousands of Atoms) package based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) to explore the free energies, interaction energies, relative stability, stability of bonds and charge transfer abilities of Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) systems comprising of bis[methano- fullerene(6,6)-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester] (bisPCBM) as the acceptor and eight different donor polymers. The novel donor polymers are computationally designed based on poly[4,8-bis-substituted-benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-4-
substituted-thieno[3, 4-b]thiophene-2,6-diyl] (PBDTTT) polymer, the main structural changes being the incorporation of Se and F atoms. From the results it was clear that PCBM makes a wiser choice as the donor compared to bisPCBM for computer simulations. Influence of F atoms was observed in the stability of the system both energetically and structurally. Incorporation of Se negatively affects the feasibility of acceptor-donor interaction.

In recent years, we have witnessed to fast developments in the medicinal field of hydrogels containing various forms of integrated nanostructured carbon that adds interesting mechanical, thermal , and electronic properties. Besides key advances in tissue engineering (especially for conductive tissue, such as for the brain and the heart), there has been innovation also in the area of drug delivery on-demand, with engineered hydrogels capable of repeated response to light, thermal, or electric stimuli. This mini-review focusses on the most promising developments as applied to the gelation of pro-tein/peptide (including self-assembling amino acids and low-molecular-weight gelators), polysaccha-ride, and/or synthetic polymer components in medicine. The emerging field of graphene-only hydro-gels is also briefly discussed, to give the reader a full flavor of the rising new paradigms in medicine that are made possible through the integration of nanostructured carbon (e.g., carbon nanotubes, nanohorns, nanodiamonds, fullerene, etc.). Nanocarbons are offering great opportunities to bring on a revolution in therapy that the modern medicinal chemist needs to master, to realise their full potential into powerful therapeutic solutions for the patient.

- by Silvia Marchesan
- •
- Biomaterials, Carbon Nanotubes, Self Assembly, Graphene

and now in this era of technology, carbon has played a significant and very prominent role
in almost all fields of science and technology. So as an honour to this marvellous element,
we humans should know about its various forms of existence. In this review article, we
shed light on all possible carbon-allotropes; similarities in their synthesis techniques and the
starting materials; their wide range of possible availability; and finally, future perspectives
and applications. A brief introduction is given on the types, structures, and shapes of the allotropes
of carbon for a better understanding.

- by Karthik Ps
- •
- Carbon Nanotubes, Fullerenes, Perovskites, Plasma
- by Neelesh Kumar mehra
- •
- Carbon Nanotubes, Carbon Nanotube, Nanotechnology, Nanotoxicology
- by Leonard Lindoy and +1
- •
- Energy Conversion, Fullerenes, Electron Transfer, Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs)

Fullerenes have gained considerable attention due to their anti-oxidant and radical scavenging properties. Their current applications include targeted drug delivery, energy application, polymer modifications and cosmetic products. The... more

- by Lang Tran
- •
- Decision Making, Targeted Drug Delivery, Risk, Nanoparticles

a] determined to be significantly more potent than Trolox.

In recent decades, micro and nanoscale technologies have become cutting-edge frontiers in material science and device developments. This worldwide trend has induced further improvements in actuator production with enhanced performance. A main role has been played by nanostructured carbon-based materials, i.e., carbon nanotubes and graphene, due to their intrinsic properties and easy functionalization. Moreover, the nanoscale decoration of these materials has led to the design of doped and decorated carbon-based devices effectively used as actuators incorporating metals and metal-based structures. This review provides an overview and discussion of the overall process for producing AC actuators using nanostructured, doped, and decorated carbon materials. It highlights the differences and common aspects that make carbon materials one of the most promising resources in the field of actuators.

- by Mattia Bartoli and +1
- •
- Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, Fullerenes, Actuators

Nanoparticles are the materials with at least two dimensions between 1 and 100 nm. Mostly these nanoparticles are natural products but their tremendous commercial use has boosted the artificial synthesis of these particles (engineered nanoparticles). Accelerated production and use of these engineered nanoparticles may cause their release in the environment and facilitate the frequent interactions with biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystems. Despite remarkable commercial benefits, their presence in the nature may cause hazardous biological effects. Therefore, detail understanding of their sources, release interaction with environment, and possible risk assessment would provide a basis for safer use of engineered nanoparticles with minimal or no hazardous impact on environment. Keeping all these points in mind the present review provides updated information on various aspects, e.g. sources, different types, synthesis, interaction with environment, possible strategies for risk management of engineered nanoparticles.

- by Indu Bhatt
- •
- Kinetics, Carbon Nanotubes, Risk Management, Carbon Nanotube
- by Andrea Speltini
- •
- Analytical Chemistry, Carbon Nanotubes, Fullerenes, HPLC

The review describes the use of microwave technology to carry out 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, an important tool for the construction of five-membered heterocycles. Microwave methodology can be applied to generate 1,3-dipoles (nitrones, nitrile oxides, azomethine ylides, azomethineimines, nitrile imines, azides, carbonyl ylides) and to promote the subsequent cycloaddition and usually avoids harsh reaction conditions. This nonconventional energy source is able to reduce chemical reaction times and to increase yields and in some cases can lead to different outcomes from those obtained with conventional heating. The review highlights the more recent developments in the area with particular emphasis on aspects related to efficiency and to regio- and stereoselectivity. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

- by Marta Piñeiro
- •
- Organic Chemistry, Microwave, Fullerenes, Regioselectivity

The objective of this review is to provide a broad overview of the advantages and limitations of carbon-based nanomaterials with respect to analytical chemistry. Aiming to illustrate the impact of nanomaterials on the development of novel analytical applications, developments reported in the 2005-2010 period have been included and divided into sample preparation, separation, and detection. Within each section, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and composite materials will be addressed specifically. Although only briefly discussed, included is a section highlighting nanomaterials with interesting catalytic properties that can be used in the design of future devices for analytical chemistry.

- by Karen Scida
- •
- Analytical Chemistry, Carbon, Carbon Nanotube, Sample Preparation

Polyhydroxylated fullerenes, named fullerenols (C 60 (OH) n ; n = 12-26) are excellent antioxidants. Harmful effects of ionizing radiation on living organism are mainly mediated by free radical species and fullerenols attract an attention as a potential radioprotectors. Our preliminary investigations on mice and rats subjected to radiation injury show that fullerenol C 60 (OH) 24 provides high survival rate of irradiated small rodents. Radioprotective effect was comparable to that of the standard radioprotector amifostine.

- by Aleksandar Djordjevic
- •
- Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Free Radical, Spleen

The fullerene family, and especially C 60 , has very appealing photo-, electro-chemical and physical properties, which can be exploited in many and different biological fields. Fullerene is able to fit inside the hydrophobic cavity of HIV proteases, inhibiting the access of substrates to the catalytic site of the enzyme. It can be used as radical scavenger; in fact some water-soluble derivatives are able to reduce ROS concentrations. At the same time, if exposed to light, fullerene can produce singlet oxygen in high quantum yields. This action, together with the direct electron transfer from excited state of fullerene and DNA bases, can be used to cleave DNA. In this review we report the most recent aspects of fullerene biological applications.

- by Susanna Bosi
- •
- Organic Chemistry, Apoptosis, Antioxidants, Fullerenes

The recent emergence of manufactured nanoparticles (NPs) that are released into the environment and lead to exposure in organisms has accelerated the need to determine NP toxicity. Techniques for measuring the toxicity of NPs (nanotoxicology) in ecological receptors (nanoecotoxicology) are in their infancy, however, and establishing standardized ecotoxicity tests for NPs are presently limited by several factors. These factors include the extent of NP characterization necessary (or possible) before, during, and after toxicity tests such that toxic effects can be related to physicochemical characteristics of NPs; determining uptake and distribution of NPs within exposed organisms (does uptake occur or are effects exerted at organism surfaces?); and determining the appropriate types of controls to incorporate into ecotoxicity tests with NPs. In this review, the authors focus on the important elements of measuring the ecotoxicity of carbon NPs (CNPs) and make recommendations for ecotoxicology testing that should enable more rigorous interpretations of collected data and interlaboratory comparisons. This review is intended to serve as a next step toward developing standardized tests that can be incorporated into a regulatory framework for CNPs. Environ. Toxicol. Chem.

- by Theodore Henry
- •
- Environmental Toxicology, Ecotoxicology, Environmental Monitoring, Risk assessment

S ince 1959, when Richard Feynman first imagined the construction of things from atom assembly , nanotechnology research has been active [2]- with the hope of creating natural or artificial entities measuring less than 100 nm, which lie at the crossroads of electronics, biology, chemistry, physics, molecular manufacturing, materials engineering, biology and bioengineering ( ). Considerable efforts and money [5], are being directed towards the development of enabling technologies, such as the integration of down-and bottomup design and manufacturing technologies are used in integrated circuit (IC) fabrication, miniaturization by scaling of devices and lines in hard lithography, while bottom-up assembly technologies aim to create new materials through innovative atom and molecule assembly through molecular manufacturing techniques . This bottom-up, self-assembly aproach has two current interpretations: the self-assembly by self-replication akin to DNA-guided multiplication of cells in biological systems and the chemical self-assembly of molecules in an aqueous solution. Chemical selfassembly produces small molecules by arrangement of atoms through (random) bumping of molecules in the solution. This method produces small bio-polymers and crystals but does not scale up well to form larger molecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, antigens and antibodies. This approach is based on the use and mechanization [58] of soft-lithography-or creation through biotechnology of new materials, miniaturization of instrumentation, better information technology, computer modeling and other enabling technologies. Ideally, these new materials and technologies should be used to improve the human condition in a variety of applications, such as better energy delivery methods, sustainable energy systems, eco-efficient materials [51] and specific drug design and delivery methods. For example, the low efficiency of solar cells is being studied at the molecular level to try to understand the mechanisms of quantum solar energy at work in solar cells that cause efficiency degradation over time to compensate for it . Biotechnology applications, such as medical implants of organic materials, cancer treatment by direct targeting of medicine (see ) that can navigate and detect the bad cells to destroy them, genetic therapies stemming from a better understanding of the human genome, and new organically synthesized bone materials are other promising areas of research and applications for nanotechnology. Other technologies include intelligent textiles, transgenically grown food free from disease, and other information technology, telecom, and transportation applications[7], as well as bio-sensors designed for defense purposes [50]. In a cross-disciplinary research effort, such as nanotechnology is useful to communicate the information and research efforts to form a conceptual mental map of the state-of-the-art R&D in nanotechnology today , .

- by Liliana Diaz Olavarrieta
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- Carbon Nanotubes, Carbon Nanotube, Nanotechnology, Fullerenes

The self-assembly and self-organization of porphyrins and related macrocycles enables the bottomup fabrication of photonic materials for fundamental studies of the photophysics of these materials and for diverse applications. This rapidly developing field encompasses a broad range of disciplines including molecular design and synthesis, materials formation and characterization, and the design and evaluation of devices. Since the self-assembly of porphyrins by electrostatic interactions in the late 1980s to the present, there has been an ever increasing degree of sophistication in the design of porphyrins that self-assemble into discrete arrays or self-organize into polymeric systems. These strategies exploit ionic interactions, hydrogen bonding, coordination chemistry, and dispersion forces to form supramolecular systems with varying degrees of hierarchical order. This review concentrates on the methods to form supramolecular porphyrinic systems by intermolecular interactions other than coordination chemistry, the characterization and properties of these photonic materials, and the prospects for using these in devices. The review is heuristically organized by the predominant intermolecular interactions used and emphasizes how the organization affects properties and potential performance in devices.

- by Alessandro Varotto
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- Catalysis, Liquid Crystals, Nanoparticles, Porphyrins
- by Bih-Yaw Jin
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- Nanotechnology, Fullerenes, Computer Software, Computer Simulation

Studies on the biological properties of fullerene C(60) and its derivatives started a decade ago as curiosity-driven studies and are now flourishing as an area of transdisciplinary research. This paper summarizes the results of studies on the biological activity and applications of selected functionalized fullerenes that were published in the last few years. Apart from literature data, we present most of our results of in vitro and in vivo studies with fullerenol C(60)(OH)(24) anti-oxidative and free radical scavenger activities in chemical and biological systems; cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines; protective effects against various cytotoxic drugs and irradiation; effects on cell cycle and apoptosis, and in vivo radioprotective and cardioprotective effects. The fullerene family of carbon molecules has been a central focus in the emerging fields of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Fullerenes take an important place in the development of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine-r...

- by Gordana Bogdanovic
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- Fullerenes, Clinical Medicine

Organic solar cells have the potential to be low-cost and efficient solar energy converters, with a promising energy balance. They are made from carbon-based semiconductors, which exhibit favourable light absorption and charge generation properties, and can be manufactured by low temperature processes such as printing from solvent-based inks, which are compatible with flexible plastic substrates or even paper. In this review, we will present an overview of the physical function of organic solar cells, their state-of-the-art performance and limitations, as well as novel concepts to achieve a better material stability and higher power conversion efficiencies. We will also briefly review processing and cost in view of the market potential.

- by Gilles Dennler
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- Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Semiconductors

The development of science, technology and technique offer ample opportunities to solve problems associated with various complications in oil production technology. The innovative technologies should include nanotechnological approaches based on the effect of "low concentrations and perturbations". Currently, nanotechnology capabilities are widely used in individual technological operations at the fields of Azerbaijan using this effect. In contrast to the traditional approaches, the authors of the paper carried out a series of experimental studies on the effects of fullerene, graphene and taunit on the properties of cement stone be used for cementing of the near bottom hole zone of the productive reservoir. The developed nanotechnology is successfully introduced in the offshore fields of Azerbaijan.

- by Konul Jabbarova
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- Graphene, Nanoparticles, Nanotechnology, Fullerenes