Fullerene crystal and method for producing same

• US 7,351,284 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshii, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNEMUND, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US10/541,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 117/68, 117/69, 423/445
• US Class Current: 117/68
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/15 Nano-sized carbon materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/152 Fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/156 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/02 Elements
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 7/00 Single-crystal growth from solutions using solvents which are liquid at normal temperature, e.g. aqueous solutions from molten solvents C30B9/00; by normal or gradient freezing C30B11/00; under a protective fluid C30B27/00

Abstract

A production method of the present invention includes: a process of bringing a solution 12 and a second solvent 13 into contact with each other so that a liquid-liquid interface 14 is formed therebetween, where the solution 12 includes a first solvent containing a benzene derivative (A) whose content is at least 50 wt. % and fullerene dissolved in the first solvent, and the second solvent 13 has a lower solubility of the fullerene than that of the first solvent; and a process of allowing the solution 12 and the second solvent 13 to be mixed together through counter diffusion of the solution 12 and the second solvent 13 to deposit crystals of the fullerene. The benzene derivative (A) is at least one benzene derivative selected from the group consisting of a benzene derivative in which at least two hydrogen atoms of a benzene ring have been substituted, halogenated benzene, and alkoxybenzene.

Claims

1. A method for producing fullerene crystals comprising:

i) bringing a solution and a second solvent into contact with each other so that a liquid-liquid interface is formed therebetween, the solution including a first solvent containing a benzene derivative (A) whose content is at least 50 wt. % and fullerene dissolved in the first solvent, and the second solvent having a lower solubility of the fullerene than that of the first solvent; and

ii) allowing the solution and the second solvent to be mixed together through counter diffusion of the solution and the second solvent to deposit crystals of the fullerene,

wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one benzene derivative selected from the group consisting of a benzene derivative in which at least two hydrogen atoms of a benzene ring have been substituted, halogenated benzene, and alkoxybenzene.

2. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein in the process (ii), the solution and the second solvent are mixed together by allowing the solution stand still for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is one type of benzene derivative with no structural isomerism or one selected from a plurality of structural isomers of one type of benzene derivative with structural isomerism.

4. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the solubility of the fullerene in the second solvent is 0.01 mg/ml or lower at 25°

C.

5. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one benzene derivative selected from the group consisting of a benzene derivative with a benzene ring that has been substituted at the meta position, a benzene derivative with a benzene ring that has been substituted at 1,3,5-positions, halogenated benzene, and alkoxybenzene.

6. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 5, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one benzene derivative selected from the group consisting of m-dialkylbenzene, m-dihalogenated benzene, halogenated benzene, 1,3,5-trialkylbenzene, 1,3,5-trihalogenated benzene, 3-halogenated toluene, and alkoxybenzene.

7. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 5, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one selected from the group consisting of m-xylene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, chlorobenzene, m-dichlorobenzene, 3-chlorotoluene, and methoxybenzene.

8. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 5, wherein the second solvent contains, in total, at least 50 wt. % of at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of n-propyl alcohol, i-propyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, i-butyl alcohol, 2-butyl alcohol, n-pentyl alcohol, and i-pentyl alcohol.

9. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 5, wherein the concentration of the fullerene contained in the solution is at least 0.3 mg/ml as well as at least 0.15X (mg/ml), where X (mg/ml) denotes the solubility of the fullerene in the first solvent.

10. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 5, further comprising forming a nonwoven fabric using the fullerene crystals.

11. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one selected from a benzene derivative with a benzene ring that has been substituted at the ortho-position, and a benzene derivative with a benzene ring that has been substituted at 1,2,4-positions,

and in the process (i), a solid wall is placed to form a solid-liquid interface with the solution.

12. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 11, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one selected from the group consisting of o-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, and 2-chlorotoluene.

13. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 11, wherein the second solvent contains at least 50 wt. % of at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of alcohol with a side chain and n-pentyl alcohol.

14. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 13, wherein the second solvent is at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of i-propyl alcohol, i-butyl alcohol, 2-butyl alcohol, n-pentyl alcohol, and i-pentyl alcohol.

15. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 11, wherein the concentration of the fullerene contained in the solution is at least 3 mg/ml as well as at least 0.3X (mg/ml), where X (mg/ml) denotes the solubility of the fullerene in the first solvent.

16. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one selected from a benzene derivative with a benzene ring that has been substituted at the para-position, and a benzene derivative with a benzene ring that has been substituted at 1,2,3-positions.

17. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 16, wherein the benzene derivative (A) is at least one selected from the group consisting of p-xylene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, and 4-chlorotoluene.

18. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 16, wherein the second solvent contains, in total, at least 50 wt. % of at least one selected from the group consisting of n-propyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, i-butyl alcohol, 2-butyl alcohol, n-pentyl alcohol, and i-pentyl alcohol.

19. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 16, wherein the concentration of the fullerene contained in the solution is at least 3 mg/ml as well as at least 0.3X (mg/ml), where X (mg/ml) denotes the solubility of the fullerene in the first solvent.

20. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, further comprising carrying out at least one treatment on the fullerene crystals obtained in the process (ii), the at least one treatment being selected from the group consisting of pressurizing, heating, and laser irradiation.

21. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the fullerene includes an element other than carbon therein.

22. The method for producing fullerene crystals according to claim 1, wherein the fullerene is C60 or C70.