Abstract Title

Functionalization of Silica Gel for Purification of C60 from Its Adducts

Additional Funding Sources

The project described was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation under the CAREER Aqueous Fullerene Colloids Grant No. CHE-1522036.

Abstract

In the synthesis of C60, or what is commonly known as buckminsterfullerene, the oxidation of C60 results in the formation of higher oxides such as C60O and C120O. Separation of C60 from these oxides, using methods like HPLC or traditional column chromatography, can be expensive or unsuccessful due to minimal retention to the stationary phase. This work focuses on the functionalization of silica gel to create a surface that will increase the retention of C60 and its adducts through a two-step synthesis. By grafting 3-aminopropyl(diethoxy)methylsilane (APDEMS) to the surface of silica gel, it offers a nitrogen nucleophile that can be used to couple with 1-pyrenecarboxaldehyde (PCA) through a reductive amination mechanism. The coupling of PCA to the surface of the silica offers more non-polar interactions that, in theory, will help to increase the retention of C60 and its oxides for successful separation. IR data obtained shows successful grafting of APDEMS to the silica surface, with frequencies corresponding to C-H stretching appearing on the functionalized silica. IR data also confirms the presence of sp2C-H and sp3C-H stretching on the surface of the fully functionalized surface, as well as C-N stretching and N-H bending.

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Functionalization of Silica Gel for Purification of C60 from Its Adducts

In the synthesis of C60, or what is commonly known as buckminsterfullerene, the oxidation of C60 results in the formation of higher oxides such as C60O and C120O. Separation of C60 from these oxides, using methods like HPLC or traditional column chromatography, can be expensive or unsuccessful due to minimal retention to the stationary phase. This work focuses on the functionalization of silica gel to create a surface that will increase the retention of C60 and its adducts through a two-step synthesis. By grafting 3-aminopropyl(diethoxy)methylsilane (APDEMS) to the surface of silica gel, it offers a nitrogen nucleophile that can be used to couple with 1-pyrenecarboxaldehyde (PCA) through a reductive amination mechanism. The coupling of PCA to the surface of the silica offers more non-polar interactions that, in theory, will help to increase the retention of C60 and its oxides for successful separation. IR data obtained shows successful grafting of APDEMS to the silica surface, with frequencies corresponding to C-H stretching appearing on the functionalized silica. IR data also confirms the presence of sp2C-H and sp3C-H stretching on the surface of the fully functionalized surface, as well as C-N stretching and N-H bending.