Polymer—fullerene-solvent system

Figure 1.9 Schematic ternary phase diagram of a polymer-fullerene-solvent system at constanttemperature Tand constant pressure p. The arrows indicate the direction of increasing concentration Csj, Cp and Cp, are the initial concentrations of solvent, polymer.

The affinity of Cgo towards carbon nucleophiles has been used to synthesize polymer-bound Cgo [120] as well as surface-bound Cjq [121]. Polymers involving G q [54, 68, 69] are of considerable interest as (1) the fullerene properties can be combined with those of specific polymers, (2) suitable fullerene polymers should be spin-coatable, solvent-castable or melt-extrudable and (3) fullerene-containing polymers as well as surface-bound Cgo layers are expected to have remarkable electronic, magnetic, mechanical, optical or catalytic properties [54]. Some prototypes of polymers or solids containing the covalently bound Cjq moiety are possible (Figure 3.11) [68,122] fullerene pendant systems la with Cjq on the side chain of a polymer (on-chain type or charm bracelet ) [123] or on the surface of a solid Ib [121], in-chain polymers II with the fullerene as a part of the main chain ( pearl necklace ) [123], dendritic systems III, starburst or cross-link type IV or end-chain type polymers V that are terminated by a fullerene unit For III and IV, one-, two-and three-dimensional variants can be considered. In addition, combinations of all of these types are possible. 

Low affinity to polar solvents and fullerenes aggregation in water limit their use in biologic systems. To increase water solubility of fullerenes, few ways are used solubilization with the use of some water-soluble polymers like PDT or polyvin-ilpyrrolidone, generation of complexes with cyclodextrines or calixarenes, and... 

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