Determination of heterogeneous rate constants for the electrochemical reduction of fullerene C-60 by the method of cyclic voltammetry on a hemispherical ultramicroelectrode

A sealed cell for the study of low temperature electrochemistry is described. From room temperature to 223 K the kinetic properties of the reduction of fullerene C-60 in CH3CN + toluene (volume ratio 1:5) containing 0.1 M TBAPF(6) were studied. Six one-electron reduction waves of C-60 have been obtained under our experimental conditions. The results show that the diffusion activation energy of C-60 is 18.0 kJ mol(-1). The heterogeneous rate constants of the first five redox couples of C-60 have been measured at different temperatures. The activation energies for the first five electroreductions were evaluated.