Airator Assisted Colloid Formation
Additional Funding Sources
This project is supported by the American Chemical Society Project SEED Program.
Abstract
Buckminsterfullerenes (C60) are organic molecules that are finding useful applications in modern industrial settings. As the number of applications increase so does concern for its environmental safety and, in particular, its oxidative/reductive behavior. One primary form of C60 being researched is an aqueous colloid (nC60), which is a suspension of these nonpolar molecules in a polar solvent. This colloidal suspension, although capable of forming naturally, can be difficult to control for a lab setting. This study investigates potential modifications to the Hexane and Isopropyl Alcohol (HIPA) method, one of the main synthesis techniques for nC60. The HIPA method involves multiple solvent exchanges through addition of the new solvent and rotary evaporation of the old solvent. The addition step is modified in several ways; the study primarily focuses on the use of an aerosol but also investigates adjustments to the speed and direction (e.g. old solvent and C60 into new solvent or vice versa) of addition. Aqueous nC60 samples are put through solvent extraction and absorption spectroscopy in order to determine the concentration, and nanoparticle tracking analysis to determine the range of particle sizes. The goal of this research is to find a synthesis method that results in a precise and controllable colloid, in terms of particle size, and to observe the effect that the use of an aerosol can have on colloid formation.
Airator Assisted Colloid Formation
Buckminsterfullerenes (C60) are organic molecules that are finding useful applications in modern industrial settings. As the number of applications increase so does concern for its environmental safety and, in particular, its oxidative/reductive behavior. One primary form of C60 being researched is an aqueous colloid (nC60), which is a suspension of these nonpolar molecules in a polar solvent. This colloidal suspension, although capable of forming naturally, can be difficult to control for a lab setting. This study investigates potential modifications to the Hexane and Isopropyl Alcohol (HIPA) method, one of the main synthesis techniques for nC60. The HIPA method involves multiple solvent exchanges through addition of the new solvent and rotary evaporation of the old solvent. The addition step is modified in several ways; the study primarily focuses on the use of an aerosol but also investigates adjustments to the speed and direction (e.g. old solvent and C60 into new solvent or vice versa) of addition. Aqueous nC60 samples are put through solvent extraction and absorption spectroscopy in order to determine the concentration, and nanoparticle tracking analysis to determine the range of particle sizes. The goal of this research is to find a synthesis method that results in a precise and controllable colloid, in terms of particle size, and to observe the effect that the use of an aerosol can have on colloid formation.
Comments
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