Electrosynthesis of buckyballs with fused-ring systems from PCBM and its analogue

Wei-Feng Wang; Kai-Qing Liu; Chuang Niu; Yun-Shu Wang; Yang-Rong Yao; Zheng-Chun Yin; Muqing Chen; Shi-Qi Ye; Shangfeng Yang; Guan-Wu Wang

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43774-2

Nature Communications (Dec 2023)

Electrosynthesis of buckyballs with fused-ring systems from PCBM and its analogue

Wei-Feng Wang,
Kai-Qing Liu,
Chuang Niu,
Yun-Shu Wang,
Yang-Rong Yao,
Zheng-Chun Yin,
Muqing Chen,
Shi-Qi Ye,
Shangfeng Yang,
Guan-Wu Wang

Affiliations

Wei-Feng Wang: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China
Kai-Qing Liu: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China
Chuang Niu: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China
Yun-Shu Wang: Hefei No. 1 High School
Yang-Rong Yao: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China
Zheng-Chun Yin: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China
Muqing Chen: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China
Shi-Qi Ye: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China
Shangfeng Yang: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China
Guan-Wu Wang: Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43774-2
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract [6,6]-Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM), a star molecule in the fullerene field, has found wide applications in materials science. Herein, electrosynthesis of buckyballs with fused-ring systems has been achieved through radical α-C−H functionalization of the side-chain ester for both PCBM and its analogue, [6,6]-phenyl-C61-propionic acid methyl ester (PCPM), in the presence of a trace amount of oxygen. Two classes of buckyballs with fused bi- and tricyclic carbocycles have been electrochemically synthesized. Furthermore, an unknown type of a bisfulleroid with two tethered [6,6]-open orifices can also be efficiently generated from PCPM. All three types of products have been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. A representative intramolecularly annulated isomer of PCBM has been applied as an additive to inverted planar perovskite solar cells and boosted a significant enhancement of power conversion efficiency from 15.83% to 17.67%.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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