Simple Synthetic Method Toward Solid Supported C60 Visible Light-Activated Photocatalysts

Solid supported fullerene materials are prepared in aims of creating a fullerene-based photocatalyst that is capable of producing 1O2 in the aqueous phase. Past studies of using fullerene as a photocatalyst in water have exclusively focused on using water soluble fullerene derivatives and employed sophisticated chemistry to create immobilized fullerene materials. The method presented herein is much less synthetically complex and utilizes pristine fullerene, providing a drastically simpler route to supported fullerene materials and furthering their potential for use in environmental applications. Covalent immobilization was achieved through the nucleophilic addition of a terminal amine (located on a solid support) across a [6,6] fullerene double bond, resulting in attachment directly to C60’s cage. Immobilization allowed supported fullerene moieties to produce 1O2 in water under various illumination conditions and inactivate MS2 bacteriophages. In a water with natural organic matter, supported fullerene materials produced 1O2 under visible light irradiation without exhibiting significant loss of photocatalytic activity after successive cycling.