Selective reaction method for isolating metallic nitride fullerenes using amine chemistry

摘要

The present invention is directed to a novel method for isolating fullerenes. In a preferred embodiment, the process purifies metallic nitride fullerenes from non-metallic nitride fullerenes by mixing a solution containing metallic nitride fullerenes with a functionalized silica gel, allowing the mixture to react for an amount of time effective to immobilize non-metallic nitride fullerenes on said gel, and filtering the silica gel to obtain a filtrate containing purified metallic nitride fullerenes separated from other more abundant fullerenes like empty cage fullerenes and classical metallofullerenes. The mixture of fullerenes is added to the silica gel and stirred and filtered, thus separating the fullerenes/silica gel (top of filter) from the filtrate (bottom solution) containing only MNFs. In another embodiment, the process purifies C₆₀ empty cage fullerenes from other empty cage fullerenes with a functionalized silica gel by mixing a solution containing C₆₀ and other empty cage fullerenes with a functionalized silica gel, allowing the mixture to react for an amount of time effective to immobilize the non-C₆₀ fullerenes on said gel, and filtering the silica gel to obtain a filtrate containing purified C₆₀ fullerene separated from other empty cage. This newly developed “Stir and Filter Approach” (SAFA) technique permits purified fullerene samples at ambient or reflux conditions.