Modifications of Fullerenes Extractions and Chromatographies with Different Solvents

Abstract

In the Bucky System II, based on electrical arc method, carbon soot was produced. Fullerenes C 60 and C 70 were Soxhlet extracted from the collected soot samples with toluene, chlorobenzene and with both of them successively, modifying the original methods. The yields of the both obtained toluene extracts were 5.4%. Chlorobenzene extract yield was 5.8%. After extraction of toluene insoluble soot with chlorobenzene, the entire extract yield was increased from 5.4% to 5.8%, due to modification of the existing methods. The difference of fullerenes solubilities in these solvents has been concluded. In the second part of our work toluene and chlorobenzene fullerenes extracts were separated by column chromatographies on active Al 2 O 3 , modifying the existing methods, by elution with hexane and mixtures of benzene, toluene, or xylene with hexane in determined ratios and orders. Identifications of buckminsterfullerene C 60 in the first chromatographically purified fractions were achieved by electron impact ionization (EI) mass, IR, and UV=VIS spectroscopy. The second and the third purified fullerene fractions, toluene and chlorobenzene soot extracts were characterized by IR and UV=VIS methods.

Isolation and Characterization of the Higher Fullerenes from Carbon Soot

“…The other advantages are the employment of smaller amounts of the mentioned solvents, smaller mass of stationary phase, finely granulated Al 2 O 3 and cheaper laboratory equipment in comparison to previous chromatographic methods for their isolation under pressure (15)(16)(17). This is also a relevant contribution in comparison to previous extraction and chromatographic methods, whereby only the isolation of the basic fullerenes was successfully performed under atmospheric pressure (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14).…”

“…The isolation of the higher fullerenes under atmospheric pressure from this extract would be a significant advancement in comparison to previous methods, whereby only isolation of the basic fullerenes has been achieved (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14). The other advantages in comparison to previous chromatographic methods, whereby the higher fullerenes were obtained under pressure (15)(16)(17), would be: the employment of smaller amounts of solvents for their elution, smaller mass of stationary phase Al 2 O 3 , as well as cheaper laboratory equipment.…”

“…The isolated higher fullerenes are significant for further investigations of their physical, chemical and spectroscopic properties, as well as for the numerous possible nanotechnological applications in, for example, electronic and optical devices, solar cells, optical, chemical or acoustic sensors, catalysts, synthesis of diamonds, storage of hydrogen, batteries, superconductors, diagnostic or therapeutic agents, transport of metal atoms or biologically active molecules in vivo (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32).…”

Parent Fullerenes

“…The first isolation of fullerenes was achieved by a simple sublimation with a Bunsen Scheme 1.10 burner as heat source [190]. The most common method for isolating the fullerenes from soot is by extraction with organic solvents [20,25,187,193,194]. Thereby, the fullerenes are deposited on a quartz rod along a temperature gradient.…”

Effective Separation of Fullerene Mixture by Sorbent on The Base of Aluminium Oxide

“…Однако такие сорбенты очень чувствительны к экстрагентам фуллереновой смеси, поэтому не всегда подходят для пер-паративного выделения индивидуальных фуллеренов [3]. Оптимальный сорбент для разделе- …”