Synthesis of modified fullerenes for oxygen reduction reactions. Issue 37 (7th September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: María Girón, Rosa; Marco-Martínez, Juan; Bellani, Sebastiano; Insuasty, Alberto; Comas Rojas, Hansel; Tullii, Gabriele; Antognazza, Maria Rosa; Filippone, Salvatore; Martín, Nazario
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 4:Issue 37(2016)
• Page Start: 14284
• Page End: 14290
• Publication Date: 2016-09-07
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ta06573b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : Suitably functionalized fullerenes bearing an active metal atom or just an active hydrogen atom behave simultaneously as electron acceptors in bulk heterojunction devices and as catalysts for ORRs. Remarkably, metal-free fullerene derivatives proved to be as active as the related hybrids. Abstract : The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key process common in several energy converting systems or electro-chemical technologies such as fuel cells, metal–air batteries, oxygen sensors, etc., which is based on the use of expensive and scarcely available platinum metal. In the search for carbon-based catalysts for ORRs, two different classes of new fullerene hybrids and metal-free fullerene derivatives endowed with suitable active sites have been prepared by highly selective metal- and organo-catalyzed synthetic methodologies. Along with their classical behavior as electron acceptors in polymer-based photo-electrochemical cells, the new fullerene derivatives are able to efficiently catalyze ORRs by using no metals or very low amounts of metals. Remarkably, the activity of metal-free fullerenes has proved to be as high as that observed for metallofullerenes bearing noble metals, and up to ten-fold higher than that of PCBM.