Iptycene-functionalized silica gel for the purification of fullerenes using flash chromatography

Abstract

Fullerenes have attracted much attention since their discovery but research efforts are plagued by the challenge of fullerene purification. We have developed a functionalized silica gel that allows for the purification of fullerenes using standard flash chromatography. The method relies on a stationary phase consisting of bent aromatic molecules that interact strongly with different types of fullerenes, allowing for their purification on a relatively large scale.