Fullerene-Containing Macromolecules for Materials Science Applications

Here we report our recent progresses in the synthesis and the study of fullerene-containing macromolecules. For example, poly(aryl ether) dendritic branches terminated with peripheral triethyleneglycol chains have been attached to C-60. Their photophysical properties have been systematically investigated in three solvents, namely toluene, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile. The changes observed in the photophysical properties along the series suggest an increasing interaction between the poly(aryl ether) dendritic wedges and the fullerene core, which brings about an increasing isolation of the central chromophore towards the exterior. Finally, thanks to their high solubility, these fullerodendrimers have been easily incorporated in mesoporous silica glasses and measurements on the resulting doped samples have revealed efficient optical limiting properties. Fullerene-containing polyesters have also been prepared by polycondensation of a bifunctional fullerene adduct with tetraethyleneglycol. These polymers have been obtained in good yields and found to have quite high molecular weights. Thanks to their good solubility in common organic solvents and to their good film-forming properties, these fullerene-containing polyesters are easy to process and could be used to evaluate their potential for the preparation of all-polymer donor/acceptor bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells.