Compression-Dependent Structural Changes of Functionalized Fullerene Monolayers

Abstract

Surface pressure vs surface area isotherm, Brewster angle microscopic, and atomic force microscopic measurements provided evidence for the formation of a stable monolayer upon the compression, up to 35 mN/m, of hexaethyl-1,2:18,36:22,23-tris(methano[60]fullerenere-61,61,62,62,63,63-hexacarboxylate), e,e,e-C60[C(COOEt)2]3, on the water surface in a Langmuir film balance. Compression to higher pressures reorganized the monolayers into bilayers and resulted ultimately in the irreversible transformation to rods (1 μm diameter and up to 100 μm long) with porous and oriented structures.