A water soluble methanofullerene derivative: synthesis, micellar aggregation in aqueous solutions, and incorporation in sol–gel glasses for optical limiting applications

Abstract

Amphiphilic methanofullerene derivative 1 is water soluble and micellar aggregation has been evidenced by small-angle X-ray scattering measurements and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Thanks to the high solubility of 1 in polar solvents widely used in sol–gel processing, successful inclusion of 1 in the sol–gel could be easily achieved. The optical limiting properties of the doped sol–gel samples have been evaluated and a fast S₁–S₀ relaxation has been observed for these samples. This observation appears to be consistent with the presence of micellar aggregates of 1 in the sol–gel. Indeed, the interactions between the fullerene spheres of neighbouring molecules in the clusters may be at the origin of this fast S₁–S₀ relaxation as already shown in solid C₆₀-films.