title: Supramolecular self-assembled fullerene nanostructures.
abstract: Four ionic fullerene derivatives, which are relatively soluble in polar solvents, are shown to organize into morphologically different nanoscale structures. Spheres, nanorods, and nanotubules form in water depending on the side chain appendage of the fullerene spheroid. Images at different nanoscale structures were obtained via transmission electron microscopy. Also, computer simulations were used for investigating the relative spatial arrangements. The efficient method to fabricate almost perfect and uniformly shaped nanotubular crystals, which order spontaneously by self-assembly, opens the way to the possibility of exploiting the fullerene properties at the nanometer scale.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Georgakilas
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pellarini
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prato
authors.forename: Dirk M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Guldi
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melle-Franco
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zerbetto
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003460:Crystallization; D019281:Dimerization; D037741:Fullerenes; D007477:Ions; D007700:Kinetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes; D007477:Ions; D011166:Porphyrins; D002244:Carbon; C069837:fullerene C60