SOLUBILITY CORRELATION OF [60]FULLERENE IN DIFFERENT SOLVENTS

Abstract

The solubility of [60]fullerene in various solvents has been correlated to the molar volume ratio of [60]fullerene and the respective solvent. The solubility varies linearly with the molar volume for the alcohol series and the heteroatom containing solvents, though specific interactions of the charge transfer type seem to dominate in the case of aromatic hydrocarbons and the halogenated solvents. The symmetric nature of the [60]fullerene and its clustering behavior could be the reason for the solubility variations observed in the solvents where specific interactions are present. The aggregation behavior of [60]fullerene molecule studied by laser light scattering technique in the solvent mixture of toluene and N,N-dimethyl formamide confirms the cluster formation and its dependence on the volume ratio in the binary solvent mixture.