Solubilization of fullerene in polyoxyethylene tetradecyl ether type nonionic surfactants

Fullerene is insoluble in water owing to its bulky spherical structure composed of 60 carbons. Herein, polyoxyethylene tetradecyl ether-type nonionic surfactants with a varying number oxyethylene groups, i.e., C14En (n = 5, 6, and 7), were used solubilize fullerene. In addition, solubilization experiment was conducted using the aromatic compound naphthalene as reference substance. tended aqueous solutions bearing long EO chains. Particularly, maximum quantities fullerene increased an increasing chains 100 mmol L?1 ranging from 43.2 5) 76.9 6) 115.6 ?mol 7). contrast, well solubilized relatively shorter showing opposite tendency that The Gibbs free energy change (?G0) per chain for –1.51 +0.27 kJ mol?1, respectively. These results indicated extension thermodynamically advantageous achieving site micelles studied by analyzing absorption spectrum four types solvents different polarities. peak wavelength suggested surrounding environment possessed intermediate polarity between organic solvents. According 1H NMR measurements, waveform groups spectra significantly split upon From these results, it concluded located vicinity (shell area) micelles.