Synthesis of modified fullerenes for oxygen reduction reactions

Abstract

In the search for carbon based catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reactions (ORR), two different classes of fullerene hybrids and metal free fullerene derivatives have been prepared by highly selective metal- and organo-catalyzed synthetic methods. They were included as both electron acceptors and catalysts in polymer-based photo-electrochemical cell,fully demonstrating electrocatalytic activity. Remarkably, the activity of the metal free fullerenes proved to be as high as that observed for metallofullerenes based on noble metals, and up to ten-fold higher than by using PCBM.