Issue 5, 2018

The aggregation of an alkyl–C60 derivative as a function of concentration, temperature and solvent type

Abstract

Contrast-variation small-angle neutron scattering (CV-SANS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of diffusion and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) are used to gain insight into the aggregation of an alkyl–C60 derivative, molecule 1, in n-hexane, n-decane and toluene as a function of concentration and temperature. Results point to an associative mechanism of aggregation similar to other commonly associating molecules, including non-ionic surfactants or asphaltenes in non-aqueous solvents. Little aggregation is detected in toluene, but small micelle-like structures form in n-alkane solvents, which have a C60-rich core and alkyl-rich shell. The greatest aggregation extent is found in n-hexane, and at 0.1 M the micelles of 1 comprise around 6 molecules at 25 °C. These micelles become smaller when the concentration is lowered, or if the solvent is changed to n-decane. The solution structure is also affected by temperature, with a slightly larger aggregation extent at 10 °C than at 25 °C. At higher concentrations, for example in solutions of 1 above 0.3 M in n-decane, a bicontinuous network becomes apparent. Overall, these findings aid our understanding of the factors driving the assembly of alkyl–π-conjugated hydrophobic amphiphiles such as 1 in solution and thereby represent a step towards the ultimate goal of exploiting this phenomenon to form materials with well-defined order.

Graphical abstract: The aggregation of an alkyl–C60 derivative as a function of concentration, temperature and solvent type

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 sep 2017
Accepted
01 nov 2017
First published
20 des 2017
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018,20, 3373-3380

The aggregation of an alkyl–C60 derivative as a function of concentration, temperature and solvent type

M. J. Hollamby, C. F. Smith, M. M. Britton, A. E. Danks, Z. Schnepp, I. Grillo, B. R. Pauw, A. Kishimura and T. Nakanishi, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 3373 DOI: 10.1039/C7CP06348B

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