• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.278-281
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• 2002

We investigated the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of a highly soluble, fullerene-containing copolymer in both solution and film states. In solution state, the copolymer showed different PL characteristics depending on the aromaticity of the solvent. The PL from polystyrene segments of the copolymer was strongly quenched in an aromatic solvent, while the PL from fullerene remained unchanged. However, the films cast from an aromatic and a nonaromatic solvent demonstrated very similar PL characteristics, implying that the chain alignment or orientation and packing in the films occur in a similar way irrespective of the solvent.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.2966-2970
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• 2012

Fullerene/polystyrene ($C_{60}$/PS) nano particle was prepared by using emulsion polymerization. Styrene and fullerene were emulsified in aqueous media in the presence of poly(N-vinyl pyridine) as an emulsion stabilizer, and polymerization was initiated by water soluble radical initiator, potassium persulfate. The obtained nano particles have an average diameter in the range of 400-500 nm. The fullerene contents in the nano particle can be controlled up to 15 wt % by varying the feed ratio, which was confirmed by themogravimetric analysis (TGA) and elemental analysis (EA). The structure and morphologies of the $C_{60}$/PS nano particles were examined by various analytical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), electron diffraction (ED) pattern, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and UV spectroscopy. Unlike conventional $C_{60}$/PS particles initiated by organic free radical initiators, in which the fullerene is copolymerized forming a covalent bond with styrene monomer, the prepared $C_{60}$/PS nano particles contain pristine fullerene as secondary particles homogeneously distributed in the polystyrene matrix.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.908-916
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• 2010

Fullerene-60 nanoparticles were used for studying their effect on the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) biodegradation efficiency of two potential polymer-degrading consortia comprising three bacterial strains each. At a concentration of 0.01% (w/v) in minimal broth lacking dextrose, fullerene did not have any negative influence upon the consortia growth. However, fullerene was found to be detrimental for bacterial growth at higher concentrations (viz., 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%). Although addition of 0.01% fullerene into the biodegradation assays containing 5mg/ml LDPE subsided growth curves significantly, subsequent analysis of the degraded products revealed an enhanced biodegradation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed breakage and formation of chemical bonds along with the introduction of ${\nu}C$-O frequencies into the hydrocarbon backbone of LDPE. Moreover, simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA) revealed a higher number of decomposition steps along with a 1,000-fold decrease in the heat of reactions (${\Delta}H$) in fullerene-assisted biodegraded LDPE, suggesting the probable formation of multiple macromolecular byproducts. This is the first report whereby fullerene-60, which is otherwise considered toxic, has helped to accelerate the polymer biodegradation process of bacterial consortia.

• Current Photovoltaic Research
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.152-156
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• 2014

We report hybrid solar cells fabricated with polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction layers that contain inorganic nanocrystals synthesized by in-situ reaction in the presence of polymer chains. The inorganic (cadmium sulfide) nanocrystal ($CdS_{NC}$) was generated by the reaction of cadmium acetate and sulfur by varying the reaction time up to 30 min. The synthesized $CdS_{NC}$ showed a rectangular flake shape, while the size of $CdS_{NC}$ reached ca. 150 nm when the reaction time was 10 min. The performance of hybrid solar cells with $CdS_{NC}$ synthesized for 10 min was better than that of a control device, whereas poor performances were measured for other hybrid solar cells with $CdS_{NC}$ synthesized for more than 10 min.