title: Hierarchically Structured Fullerene C70 Cube for Sensing Volatile Aromatic Solvent Vapors.
abstract: We report the preparation of hierarchically structured fullerene C70 cubes (HFC) composed of mesoporous C70 nanorods with crystalline pore walls. Highly crystalline cubic shape C70 crystals (FC) were grown at a liquid-liquid interface formed between tert-butyl alcohol and C70 solution in mesitylene. HFCs were then prepared by washing with isopropanol of the FC at 25 °C. The growth directions and diameters of C70 nanorods could be controlled by varying washing conditions. HFCs perform as an excellent sensing system for vapor-phase aromatic solvents due to their easy diffusion through the mesoporous architecture and strong π-π interactions with the sp(2) carbon-rich pore walls. Moreover, HFCs offer an enhanced electrochemically active surface area resulting in an energy storage capacity 1 order of magnitude greater than pristine C70 and fullerene C70 cubes not containing mesoporous nanorods.
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Partha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bairi
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Waka
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ariga
authors.affiliation: World Premier International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) , 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Lok Kumar
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Shrestha
keywords: fullerene crystals; hierarchical structure; interface; self-assembly; specific capacitance; vapor sensing