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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Preparation and Characterization of C60/Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures
Published on: May 15, 2018
Nanosized ball joints constructed from C60 and tribenzotriquinacene sockets: synthesis, component self-assembly and
Björn Bredenkötter1, Stefan Henne, Dirk Volkmer
1Ulm University, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry 2, Materials and Catalysis, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm, Germany.
Abstract:
The formation of supramolecular host-guest complexes of fullerene (C(60)) and two novel tribenzotriquinacene based hosts (5 a and 5 b) was investigated in solution and in the solid state. Stability constants for 1:1 and 2:1 complexes were obtained from spectroscopic (UV/Vis, (1)H NMR) titration experiments. Association constants of K(1)=(2908+/-360) L mol(-1) and K(2)=(2076+/-300) L mol(-1) for C(60)/5 a, and K(1)=(5608+/-220) L mol(-1) and K(2)=(673+/-160) L mol(-1) for C(60)/5 b were obtained. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis of compound C(60) subset5 b3 toluene revealed that a molecule of C(60) was located at short van der Waals contact distances in the open pre-organised cavity of the rigid host. The supramolecular complex created resembles an engineered nanosized ball joint and represents the first member for a future nanomechanics construction kit.
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