Radical addition of a conjugated polymer to multilayer fullerenes (carbon nano-onions)

Multilayer fullerenes (carbon nano-onions, CNOs) represent a largely unexplored carbon allotrope due to their inherent insolubility. Expectations are that the properties of these nano-onions will be unique and potentially useful, as has been the case with the fullerenes and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNOs show diminished chemical reactivity; however, the established thermal diradical formation and reactivity of bis-o-diynyl arene (BODA) monomers afforded direct functionalization, solution processing, and de-functionalization of CNOs; and the first example of a radical addition of a conjugated polymer to CNOs. The functionalized and soluble CNOs were characterized by TEM, GPC, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS. A CNO defunctionalization method using oxidative TGA is also presented.