Major noble application arises with the manipulation of fullerene molecule. Due to its structural advantage of being a hollow sphere, other compounds/atoms can be trapped inside it (just like a container). When doped with various materials, the new-fullerene will exhibit properties that were once not of its own. For example, when laser pulses are shot with Cs or K metal ions on fullerene molecule, Cs48 and KC44 compounds are formed. Similarly, when this fullerene is doped with potassium, it exhibits a superconductivity property. Alternatively, due to its structural stability, respective atoms can be substituted with other atoms to form compounds like C59N or C57B3 which on its own share new set of properties. Also, carbon nanotubes can be derived from this fullerene as well.
Medical uses
Researchers observed that trapping buckyballs in lipid globes can aid in delivery of improved cancer treatments. Atsuchi Ikeda and his team have shown that the buckyball could be directed into the human cancer cells by hollow lipid spheres and induce apoptosis under visible light irradiation. Then, by combining a light source and photosensitizer, a type of light-sensitive drug, we can destroy cancer cells through a method called (photodynamic therapy). Buckyball yields singlet oxygen under irradiation and this eventually leads to apoptosis of the cancer cell.
Despite this noble characteristic, there was some problem n dissolving C60 into water for transportation around the body to target the cancer cell. Simple way could be doping the C60 with other compounds but it was shown that oxygen singlet formation is highest in its purist form. Thus, the conclusion they arrive at is to modify the surface of C60 to make it similar to the surface of a cell. They did so by placing a layer of lipid, including phospholipids and aminolipids. This is called LMI fullerene.
This modification not only allows for higher PDT activity than the structure with anionic and neutral surfaces, but also allows to be fine-tuned by modifying the surface using various functional group. Thus, this will not only be a cancer drug but also antibacterial and antifungal
Apart from the anti-cancer property via cell targeting, it was show that buckyball derivative can be used in the inhibition of enzymes of HIV and Hep A,B and C. Some other derivatives have shown the potential to be able to be applied in advances bacteriostatic agent and contrast materials in X-ray and MRI.
A concern today is the potential toxicity of the buckyball in the organic body which could be from the derivatives. Thus, buckyball is a promising agent in the medical field..
Superconductors
Superconductors are materials in which the have almost zero electrical resistance below a certain temperature. This means that current can be circulated without any energy loss.
Buckyballs are starting to replace pre-existing superconductors. It was found that doped C60 will superconduct at temperatures between 60 and 70 kelvin unlike carbon nanotubes which does at much lower critical temperature of 15 kelvin. That means, the materials have the potential to conduct current without resistance at higher temperature. One of the biggest applications for superconductivity is the production of a stable, uniform and very strong magnetic fields used in MRI and NMR. These instruments typically use low temperature superconductors as the cost of high temperature superconductors is too high. However, this means cooling the instruments to liquid helium temperatures, which require large amounts of energy to operate.
Solar Cells
Buckyballs are great semiconductors. In the department of photovoltaics they show great potential for bringing down the cost of manufacturing solar cells. These less expensive solar cells are made solely of carbon instead of the more expensive silicon traditionally used in the production of solar cells. This could lead to solar panels being far more accessible to the general public. And, that is soon to be true.
A team of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has experimented solar cells made from two types of pure carbon. They found out that these carbon absorbed infrared sunlight that traditional silicon panels ignore, pin pointing to potential increase in efficiency.
These two types of carbon solar cells were specifically carbon nanotube and buckyball (video below shows that of nanotube but property holds same for buckyball). At the moment, normal silicon solar cells’ efficiency has been shown to be around ~20% depending on the materials used. However, given that the buckyball solar cell can absorb infrared radiation could improve this by few folds. Infrared radiation consist of almost 40% of the solar radiation and that means, more electricity compared to what we have today.
This potential would help to alleviate today’s problem of energy shortage and replace many greenhouse-causing energy with this alternative. Although much thorough research should be conducted to understand how this particular absorption occurs, it is certainly promising a greater green energy.
Researchers observed that trapping buckyballs in lipid globes can aid in delivery of improved cancer treatments. Atsuchi Ikeda and his team have shown that the buckyball could be directed into the human cancer cells by hollow lipid spheres and induce apoptosis under visible light irradiation. Then, by combining a light source and photosensitizer, a type of light-sensitive drug, we can destroy cancer cells through a method called (photodynamic therapy). Buckyball yields singlet oxygen under irradiation and this eventually leads to apoptosis of the cancer cell.
Despite this noble characteristic, there was some problem n dissolving C60 into water for transportation around the body to target the cancer cell. Simple way could be doping the C60 with other compounds but it was shown that oxygen singlet formation is highest in its purist form. Thus, the conclusion they arrive at is to modify the surface of C60 to make it similar to the surface of a cell. They did so by placing a layer of lipid, including phospholipids and aminolipids. This is called LMI fullerene.
This modification not only allows for higher PDT activity than the structure with anionic and neutral surfaces, but also allows to be fine-tuned by modifying the surface using various functional group. Thus, this will not only be a cancer drug but also antibacterial and antifungal
Apart from the anti-cancer property via cell targeting, it was show that buckyball derivative can be used in the inhibition of enzymes of HIV and Hep A,B and C. Some other derivatives have shown the potential to be able to be applied in advances bacteriostatic agent and contrast materials in X-ray and MRI.
A concern today is the potential toxicity of the buckyball in the organic body which could be from the derivatives. Thus, buckyball is a promising agent in the medical field..
Superconductors
Superconductors are materials in which the have almost zero electrical resistance below a certain temperature. This means that current can be circulated without any energy loss.
Buckyballs are starting to replace pre-existing superconductors. It was found that doped C60 will superconduct at temperatures between 60 and 70 kelvin unlike carbon nanotubes which does at much lower critical temperature of 15 kelvin. That means, the materials have the potential to conduct current without resistance at higher temperature. One of the biggest applications for superconductivity is the production of a stable, uniform and very strong magnetic fields used in MRI and NMR. These instruments typically use low temperature superconductors as the cost of high temperature superconductors is too high. However, this means cooling the instruments to liquid helium temperatures, which require large amounts of energy to operate.
Solar Cells
Buckyballs are great semiconductors. In the department of photovoltaics they show great potential for bringing down the cost of manufacturing solar cells. These less expensive solar cells are made solely of carbon instead of the more expensive silicon traditionally used in the production of solar cells. This could lead to solar panels being far more accessible to the general public. And, that is soon to be true.
A team of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology has experimented solar cells made from two types of pure carbon. They found out that these carbon absorbed infrared sunlight that traditional silicon panels ignore, pin pointing to potential increase in efficiency.
These two types of carbon solar cells were specifically carbon nanotube and buckyball (video below shows that of nanotube but property holds same for buckyball). At the moment, normal silicon solar cells’ efficiency has been shown to be around ~20% depending on the materials used. However, given that the buckyball solar cell can absorb infrared radiation could improve this by few folds. Infrared radiation consist of almost 40% of the solar radiation and that means, more electricity compared to what we have today.
This potential would help to alleviate today’s problem of energy shortage and replace many greenhouse-causing energy with this alternative. Although much thorough research should be conducted to understand how this particular absorption occurs, it is certainly promising a greater green energy.
Hydrogen storage
There is also some research into its ability to store hydrogen. Hydrogen is an ideal fuel as they are 3-4 times more efficient than normal internal combustion engines. However one problem associated with it is the storage of hydrogen as it has a very low density (in other words, take up a lot of space). C60 can store hydrogen not only inside the hollow sphere but also through C-H bonds on the surface of the sphere. It is expected that once our technology allows the extensive storage, it will open new door to storage of other gases as well as change the way energy market handles the storage and improve clean energy technology.
However, the current state of the technology has yet to make theoretically sound ideas to have extensive hydrogen storage – so far fullerene ‘burst’ once more than one molecule of it gets in.
It is expected that once our technology allows the extensive storage, it will open new door to storage of other gases as well as change the way energy market handles the storage and improve clean energy technology.
There is also some research into its ability to store hydrogen. Hydrogen is an ideal fuel as they are 3-4 times more efficient than normal internal combustion engines. However one problem associated with it is the storage of hydrogen as it has a very low density (in other words, take up a lot of space). C60 can store hydrogen not only inside the hollow sphere but also through C-H bonds on the surface of the sphere. It is expected that once our technology allows the extensive storage, it will open new door to storage of other gases as well as change the way energy market handles the storage and improve clean energy technology.
However, the current state of the technology has yet to make theoretically sound ideas to have extensive hydrogen storage – so far fullerene ‘burst’ once more than one molecule of it gets in.
It is expected that once our technology allows the extensive storage, it will open new door to storage of other gases as well as change the way energy market handles the storage and improve clean energy technology.