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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
08:40
Preparation and Characterization of C60/Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures
Published on: May 15, 2018
Fullerene C60: surface energy and interfacial interactions in aqueous systems
Xin Ma1, Bethany Wigington, Dermont Bouchard
1USEPA Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|June 5, 2010
Summary
Understanding fullerene (C60) interactions in water is crucial. This study quantifies surface energies and interactions, revealing C60
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface chemistry
Background:
- Fullerene interactions in aqueous systems, including fullerene-fullerene, fullerene-water, and fullerene-soil, lack clear mechanistic understanding.
- Investigating interfacial interactions is key to understanding fullerene behavior in environmental and biological systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the surface properties of Buckminsterfullerene (C60) and quartz surfaces.
- To elucidate the mechanisms governing fullerene-fullerene and fullerene-quartz interactions in aqueous environments.
Main Methods:
- Contact angle measurements using the sessile drop technique.
- Application of the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good model and Young-Dupre equation to calculate surface energies.
- Determination of Lifshitz-van der Waals, acid-base, and total surface energies.
Main Results:
- Buckminsterfullerene (C60) powder exhibits low to medium surface energy (41.7 mJ/m2), dominated by Lifshitz-van der Waals forces.
- Hydrophobic attraction drives C60 aggregation in water due to water's high cohesion.
- High free energy of hydration (ΔG(pw)(total) = -90.5 mJ/m2) indicates strong C60-water affinity.
- Hamaker constants derived for C60-C60 (4.02 x 10⁻²¹ J) and C60-quartz (2.59 x 10⁻²¹ J) interactions in aqueous systems.
Conclusions:
- Surface energy is a critical parameter for characterizing fullerene nanomaterials.
- Understanding surface properties is essential for predicting fullerene behavior in aqueous and soil environments.
- This research provides foundational data for fullerene applications and environmental risk assessments.
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