High-yield method of endohedrally encapsulating species inside fluorinated fullerene nanocages
View Patent ↗This invention is directed to the fluorination (or derivatization with alternative chemical species) of fullerene carbon nanocages as an efficient way to (a) facilitate synthesis of endohedral complexes by a significant reduction or elimination of the barriers for the entry of guest-ions, -atoms or molecules, and (b) to preserve the chemical stability of final product.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
(a) covalently attaching species to the exterior of the fullerene carbon nanocage to form a derivatized fullerene carbon nanocage wherein the derivatized fullerene carbon nanocage is a fluorinated fullerene nanocage;
(b) inserting an endohedral doping agent into the derivatized fullerene carbon nanocage.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of inserting comprises breaking and subsequent reformation of carbon-carbon bonds in the fullerene nanocage structure.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of covalently attaching decreases the potential energy barrier for the step of inserting.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fullerene carbon on nanocage is selected from the group consisting of fullerenes, buckyballs, carbon nanotube, nested fullerenes, bucky onions, single-wall carbon nanotubes, multi-wall carbon nanotubes carbon fibrils, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the endohedral doping agent is selected from the group consisting of a charged species, a neutral species, ion(s), atom(s), atom clusters, molecules, and combinations thereof.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the endohedral doping agent is radioactive.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the endohedral doping agent is inserted via ion bombardment.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the endohedral doping agent decays into a radioactive species.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing at least some of the covalently attached species from the exterior of the fullerene carbon nanocage after the step of inserting.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding bio-specific ligands or antibodies to the fullerene nanocage.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of adding occurs before the step of attaching.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of adding occurs during the step of attaching.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of adding occurs between the step of attaching and the step of inserting.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of adding occurs after the step of inserting.
15. A method comprising:
(a) derivatizing a fullerene with a fluorine specie; and
(b) endohedrally modifying the fullerene.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fullerene is a fullerene tube.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fullerene tube is a single-wall carbon nanotube.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sidewall carbon nanotube is derivatized on the sidewall of the single-wall carbon nanotube.
19. A composition comprising:
(a) a fluorine-derivatized fullerene;
(b) a first species covalently attached to the fullerene; and
(c) a second species endohedrally located in the fullerene.
20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the second species is selected from the group consisting of ions, atoms, molecules, and combinations thereof.
21. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the second species is radioactive.
22. The composition of claim 19 , further comprising a third species attached to the fullerene, wherein the third species is selected from the group consisting of bio-specific ligands, antibodies, and combinations thereof.
23. The composition of claim 19 , wherein, the first species is selected from that group consisting of bio-specific ligands and antibodies.
24. A composition comprising:
(a) fullerene carbon nanocage;
(b) a first species covalently attached to the fullerene carbon nanocage, wherein the first species covalently attached to the fullerene carbon nanocage is fluorine; and
(c) a second species endohedrally located in the fullerene carbon nanocage.
25. The composition of claim 24 further comprising a third species attached to the fullerene, wherein the third species attached to the fullerene carbon nanocage is selected from the group consisting of bio-specific ligands antibodies, and combination thereof.
26. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the second species endohedrally located in the fullerene carbon nanocage is a radioactive species.
27. The composition of claim 26 , wherein the radioactive species is selected from the group consisting of T + , T 2 , 3 He, cobalt isotopes or small ionic radius, and combinations thereof.
28. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the fullerene carbon nanocage is a fullerene cube.
29. The composition of claim 28 , wherein the fullerene tube is a single-wall carbon nanotube.
30. The composition of claim 29 , wherein the sidewall carbon nanotube is derivatized on the sidewall of the single-wall carbon nanotube.