The research program of this Network is concerned with the establishment of rational molecular design principles for functional fullerene derivatives exhibiting new properties that can be exploited for practical applications. The development of methodologies to produce new fullerene derivatives and the understanding of the structure-property relationships in these new materials are at the center of this research, as compounds have first to be made and studied, and then modified to control their properties towards the applications. One other important aspect relies on the organizational control from the molecular to the macroscopic level. Systematic studies on the influence of the molecular structure on the nanoscopic organization of the fullerene derivatives will have a major impact for their incorporation into devices for practical applications or for testing their potential as new electronic components. The particular objectives of this Network are:
- Synthesis of new fullerene derivatives
- Understanding the structure/activity relationships to achieve desirable physical properties in fullerene-based materials
- Understanding the influence of the molecular structure on the nanoscopic organization
- Development of design principles to optimize fullerene based materials for optoelectronic applications
- Exploration of new fullerene based molecules as new electronic components