FULLERENE FUNCTIONALIZED POLYMERS

The recent synthesis and macroscopic isolation of C60 (buckminsterfullerene) has stimulated interest in its properties and chemical reactivity. Fullerenes are known to be attacked by nucleophiles and it has been reported that they react with small amines. There is, however, no report on the reaction of fullerenes with polymeric amines. Fullerenes were found to add to amine containing flexible hydrocarbon polymers such as ethylene propylene terpolymer (EPDM-amine) to obtain novel C60 functionalized polymers. These materials are soluble in commom solvents. The reaction of the fullerene and polymer was followed by infra-red spectroscopy and viscosity measurements.