Fullerodendrimers: Fullerene-containing macromolecules with intriguing properties

Fullerenes possess electronic and photophysical properties which make them natural candidates for the preparation of functional dendrimers. The attachment of a controlled number of dendrons on a C-60 core provides a compact insulating layer around the carbon sphere, and the triplet lifetimes of the C-60 chromophore can be used to evaluate its degree of isolation from external contacts. The fullerene core can also act as a terminal energy receptor in dendrimer-based light-harvesting systems. When a fullerodendrimer is further functionalized with a suitable electron donor, it may exhibit the essential features of a multicomponent artificial photosynthetic system in which photo-induced energy transfer from the antenna to the C-60. core is followed by electron transfer. On the other hand, the preparation of dendrons with peripheral C-60 subunits or containing a C-60 sphere at each branching unit has been achieved. These fullerodendrons are not only interesting building blocks for the synthesis of monodisperse fullerene-rich macromolecules with intriguing properties, but they are also amphiphilic compounds capable of forming stable Langmuir films at the air-water interface.