Fullerenes and carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) are synthetic carbon allotropes that have cage quasi-O-dimensional) and cylindrical (quasi-1-dimensional) nanostructures, respectively. Since they were discovered (in 1985 and 1991, respectively), fullerenes and CNTs have attracted great attention due to their unique physical properties. In particular, organic chemists became fascinated by the possibility of tailoring the properties of these nanocarbons, by means of chemical synthesis, to develop new materials for applications in optoelectronic devices, nanotechnology, composites, biology, and medicine. The recent developments in organic solar cells have further stimulated research on the synthesis and application of new fullerene derivatives that can act as vital components with favorable energy levels for accepting electrons from photoexcited p-type materials. In fact, up to now no other compound class has surpassed fullerenes as electron acceptors in photovoltaic devices.
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