Within the WP1 (Synthesis of selectively protected fullerenes with tailored solubility), a synthetic methodology to protect fullerenes based on the formation of an isoxazolino derivative that can be deprotected afterwards with mild photolytic conditions has been employed. The remaining positions were functionalised with 11 grous of different nature in order to demostrate the possibility to tune fullerene´s solubility from superhydrophobic to hydrophilic. The behaviour have been evaluated in solution (octanol/water partition coefficient) and on surface (contact angle meassurements). Moreover, the supramolecular self assembly has been adressed trough DSC, DLS and Cryo-TEM.
Along WP2 (Synthesise fullerene building blocks) the deprotection of the remaining position was achieved. This postion was subsequently functionalised with different anchoring groups as azides or alkynes for their use in click chemistry, amines as precursors for diazotation, iodine and carboxylic acids yielding fullerene building blocks with one reactive position. These building blocks are interesting candidates to use them in a lego-like approach in combination with other materials.
WP3 was dedicated to the synthesis of hybrid SCAs nanostructures. Different hybrids systems have been attempetd like graphene-C60, CNT-C60, C60-carbon nano-onios (CNOs) and C60-endohedral fullerene. This last hybrid have been reported as the first example of this type displaying very promising properties. The functionalisation with an appropiate group with complementary reactivity to that of the soluble fullerene has also been carried out for CNT, graphene, and CNO counterparts. An exhaustive characterisation with Raman, FTIR, TGA-GC-MS has been performed.
2 new WP were implemented since the initially planned applications failed. Instead, functionalisation of CNOs and synthesis of perylenebisimide cyclophanes as host system were investigated. The interesting outcomes resulting from this new part of the project will be published with the acknowledgment to the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme under MSC grant agreement No. 747734.
Dr. Pérez-Ojeda ´s main results have been published in gold open acces and were highlited as hot paper with a cover and a frontiespiece:
-Chem.Commun. 2017, 53, 7886
-Chem.Eur.J. 2018, 24, 53, 14088
The researcher has disseminated the results at international conferences with 14 contributions. Moreover, she received the best poster award at 32th International Winterschool on Electronic Properties of Novel Materials, 2018, Kirchberg, Austria. Furthermore Dr. Pérez-Ojeda had the opportunity to attend the Marie Curie Alumni Annual Conference (MCAA) where she could learn about open access, European policies, project management and other translational skills
