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Mechanochemical strategy for controllable encapsulation of fullerene C60 within metal-organic framework ZIF-8

Fullerene and fullerene derivatives show vast potential for application due to their unique physicochemical properties. Functional materials with fullerene embedded in their structure are researched due to their increased stability, conductivity, or catalytic activity compared to their constitutional components. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline, porous materials that have proven to be excellent host matrices for the encapsulation of various guest molecules.[1] Guest encapsulation into MOFs is mainly done by solution methods that are dependent on the solubility, MOFs aperture size, and competition with the solvent. The main problem with this approach is the lack of control over the encapsulation process.[2] Here, a fast and green mechanochemical approach emerged as a fitting solution as it requires only traces of solvent. Ball milling allowed stoichiometrically controlled encapsulation and provided four C60@ZIF-8 (zeolitic-imidazolate framework) crystalline materials containing 15, 30, 60, and 100 mol % of fullerene entrapped in the available pores of the sodalite ZIF-8 while solution-based experiments resulted in a minimal load of fullerene. The fullerenes contained within the ZIF-8 show properties of isolated molecules.[3] Therefore, this strategy could serve to fit selected endofullerenes into suitable MOFs for use in spintronics.

guest encapsulation ; metal-organic frameworks ; fullerene ; ZIF-8 ; mechanochemical synthesis

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