In this study, the transport of water-stable “nano-C60 particles” (a term used to refer to underivatized C60 crystalline nanoparticles, stable in water for months) through a soil column (packed with Lula soil, 0.27% organic carbon) was investigated for the first time. Nano-C60 particle breakthrough experiments were conducted at different flow rates, while other column operating parameters remained fixed through all the experiments. Nano-C60 particles were observed to be more mobile at higher flow velocity: at the flow velocity of 0.38 m/d, the maximum percent of nano-C60 breakthrough (C/C0) was 47%; at the flow velocity of 3.8 m/d, the plateau value of nano-C60 breakthrough was 60%; and at the flow velocity of 11.4 m/d, the plateau value of nano-C60 breakthrough was almost 80%. At the low flow velocity (0.38 m/d), which is typical of groundwater flow, nano-C60 particles showed very limited mobility: after about 57 pore volumes, they deposited to the soil column so rapidly that virtually no nano-C60 was detected in the effluent. This observed “favorable deposition” (attachment efficiency α = 1) was probably due to “filter ripening.” Also the release of nano-C60 particles after flow interruption was observed. The transport of naphthalene through the same soil column containing 0.18% nano-C60 particles deposited was measured. A retardation factor of about 13 was observed, possibly suggesting that sorbed nano-C60 particles in the soil column sorbed naphthalene similar to soil organic carbon. An asymmetric naphthalene breakthrough curve was observed, which is possibly due to “sorption nonequilibrium.”

Organic solar cells based on conjugated polymer:fullerene blends show nowadays efficiencies above 4%. After briefly presenting the science of bulk-heterojunction solar cells, we report herein a shelf lifetime study performed by encapsulating the cells in a flexible and transparent gas barrier material. This method allows lifetimes as reported for glass encapsulation. Moreover, we propose a new approach to pattern organic solar cells and design large-scale modules. This technique, based on selective Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser etching, potentially enables low-cost, high-speed roll-to-roll operation.

Nanoparticulate materials are promising objects for studying the processes that triggermelting of solids. On a pyrolytic route, we successfully encapsulated 20–60 nm diameter Cu nanocrystals within multilayer graphitic carbon spheres. In situ electron microscope observations of the melting and displacement of the encapsulated Cu nanocrystals at temperatures up to 1175 K have provided clear evidence of the process of surface melting and its dependence on the quality of the metal/carbon interface. Detection of crystal defects inside the Cu particles during melting and vaporization has proved that the metal phase maintains its solid crystalline state in the particle center. Indications of the influence of surface anisotropy on the melting behavior were obtained. The carbon cages as a whole remained unchanged during the observations.

Nanocrystal n-diamond particles were synthesized after a pyrogenation of carbon nanotubes and colloidal Fe(OH)3 at atmospheric pressure. The product was investigated with x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis. The results indicate that the n-diamond can be synthesized with the carbon nanotubes as carbon source. The formation mechanism of the n-diamond is suggested in this paper. With the increase of temperature and hence the carbon diffusion in iron, the phase sequence is from Fe(OH)3 into Fe2O3, α–Fe, γ–Fe, and then liquid iron. When carbon in the liquid iron is saturated, graphite separated out of the liquid iron. With the decrease of temperature, the carbon in γ–Fe is separated out, and the n-diamond nuclei form and grow.

A dark red colored composite of C60 and (zinc, bismuth) borate glass was synthesized by solid-state reaction between C60 and frits of the glass at 650–700 °C in an argon atmosphere completely free from oxygen and moisture. An unusual change in color and the absorption spectrum of the glass upon composite formation with C60 indicated that the incorporated C60 underwent some sort of interaction with the glass. Such fullerene molecules bonded to relatively smaller units of bismuth-boron network, were extracted out by eluting a powdered sample with toluene. The composite itself and the toluene extract there of, were then characterized by ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared, infrared, and mass spectral studies. The results showed that the bismuth ions of the bismuth-boron network were bonded with the C60 cages through direct donation of their lone pair of electrons to the latter. The phenomenon of addition of boron to C60 via an “oxygen bridge,” which was observed in our earlier work, was also detected in this case. Studies on the nonlinear optical properties of the composite exhibited a moderate value of third order nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) (1.5 × 10−11 esu) and optical limiting properties of the composite. The result showed that the material had the prospect of being used in nonlinear optical devices.

Fine tubular fibers composed of C60 and C70 fullerene molecules were successfully fabricated by the liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation method. The walls of the tubular fibers were crystalline, and the fullerene molecules were densely packed along the growth axis of tube wall. The tubular structures are called “fullerene nanotubes.” The inner diameter and the outer diameter of C70 tubes showed a linear relationship, suggesting a constant wall thickness of the tubes. The tubular structures composed of C70 molecules could be formed when their diameter was larger than about 240 nm. The fullerene tubes were successfully fabricated by using a C60-C70 soot as well. The formation of fullerene nanotubes can be understood by assuming a mechanism of core dissolution of the solvated fullerene nanowhiskers.

C60 nanowhiskers fabricated by liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation method and pristine C60 powder were sintered at 800 °C under 5.5 GPa for 2 h. The specimens showed high micro-Vickers hardness about 1100 kg/mm2 and electrical resistivity as low as several Ωm. Structural characterization by x-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopy revealed that most of C60 molecules were broken to form turbostratic graphite by high-pressure and high-temperature treatment. Comparison with the pristine C60 powder sintered under the same conditions suggests that the structural change depends microscopically on the C60 molecules, but the size and the morphology of the starting material also affect the macroscopic sintering process.

Tubular and capsular needlelike crystals of C60 with a few hundreds nanometers to about one micrometer in diameter were discovered among the precipitates prepared by the liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation method. Addition of a small amount of (η2–C60)Pt(PPh3)2 to the toluene solution of C60 produced various morphologies of hollow C60 crystals. This paper gives the first report on the formation of structures we named “C60 nanotubes.”

Nanowhiskers and needle-like precipitates obtained by the liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation method for the systems of isopropyl alcohol and toluene solutions of C60 and (η2-C60)Pt(PPh3)2 were examined by transmission electron microscopy. Morphology of the C60 precipitates was remarkably changed by the addition of (η2-C60)Pt(PPh3)2 in the C60 toluene solution, and capsular needle-like crystals of C60 were formed. C60 cages were found to be directly contacted along the growth axis of (η2-C60)Pt(PPh3)2 needle-like crystals.

Bimetallic NiW sulfide nanostructures of the inorganic fullerene-like (IF-like) type were prepared by a chemical method employing ammonium thiotungstate and nickel nitrate as metal-sulfide precursors followed by sulfidation in H2S/H2 at 400 °C. The nanostructures were grown with a Ni excess, at an atomic ratio R = 0.85 (R = Ni/Ni + W). The x-ray diffraction patterns showed poorly crystalline WS2, WO2, NiS, and Ni9S8 phases. High-resolution electron microscopy micrographs revealed the formation of two fullerene-like nanostructures, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and long nanotubes filled with tungsten suboxide, both coated by several WS2 layers. The surface area of 18 m2/g measured by nitrogen adsorption (BET surface-area) revealed that these materials contained micropororosity.