Evidences of Electron Transfer of a Fullerene Anion Radical (C60•−) Prepared under Visible-Light Illumination at a Nitrobenzene/Water Interface

• Published in: Analytical Sciences 2016/04/10, Vol.32(4), pp.463-468
• Main Authors: WATARIGUCHI, Shigeru, FUJIMORI, Masaaki, ATSUMI, Kosuke, HINOUE, Teruo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical Chemistry; Anions; Buckminsterfullerene; Chemistry; Decomposition reactions; electron transfer; Fullerene; Fullerenes; Illumination; Liquids; liquid–liquid interface; Nitrobenzenes; Photochemical reactions; photochemistry; voltammetry
• ISSN: 0910-6340; 1348-2246
• DOI: 10.2116/analsci.32.463

Fullerene (C60) changes to its anion radical (C60•−) in the presence of tetraphenylborate (TPB−) under visible-light illumination. Using voltammetry at a liquid/liquid interface, we investigated the electron transfer (ET) between C60•−, previously prepared based on this photochemical reaction, in a nitrobenzene (NB) solution and hexacyanoferrate(III) ([Fe(CN)6]3−) or proton in an aqueous solution. We suggest that positive currents appearing in voltammograms are due to the ion transfer of decomposition products of TPB− and ET from C60•− in the NB phase to [Fe(CN)6]3−, or proton in the W phase. 11B NMR revealed that TPB− decomposed to some borate anions during the photochemical reaction of fullerene. Furthermore, when the NB solution containing C60•− was mixed with an aqueous solution containing [Fe(CN)6]3− or proton, absorption bands of C60•− in a visible/near infrared absorption spectrum disappeared. This disappearance supports the ET across the NB/W interface. This finding is significant as both an example of ET at a liquid/liquid interface including photochemical reactions and the photochemistry of C60.