Enhancement of electron scavenging by water-soluble fullerenes

摘要

Polyhydroxyfullerenes (PHFs) having enhanced electron scavenging capabilities have a ratio of non-hydroxyl functional groups to hydroxyl functional groups that is less than or equal to 0.3. When combined with a semiconductor photocatalyst, such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the PHFs provide a photocatalyst for degradation of chemical and biological contaminates with an efficiency of at least twice that of titanium dioxide nanoparticles free of PHFs. The PRFs are included in these catalysts at a weight ratio to titanium dioxide of about 0.001 to about 0.003, whereas significantly lower and higher ratios do not achieve the highly improved photodegradation capability. PHFs outside of the desired structure are shown to be of little value for photodegradation, and can be inhibiting to the photocatalytic activity of TiO2. The enhanced electron scavenging PHFs can be employed as a component of materials for solar cells, field effect transistors, and radical scavengers.

主权项

1. An enhanced photocatalyst comprising:
TiO2 or ZnO nanoparticles; and polyhydroxyfullerenes (PHFs) comprising a fullerene (Cn) with a multiplicity of hydroxyl substituents on said fullerene, wherein n is 20 to 500 and having a ratio of non-hydroxyl functional groups to hydroxyl functional groups that is less than or equal to 0.3, wherein said PHFs have an average of about 27 to about 48 functional groups per 60 carbon atoms.