Laser induced fullerene natural rubber derivatives toward green electronics

Abstract

Natural rubber has been used to functionalize fullerene C60 through Laser synthesis newlinein an effort to develop a green and cost effective organic semiconductor for applications newlinein organic electronic devices. The selection of Natural rubber was prompted by its newlineabundant availability of this natural polymer, low cost and ease of processing. Based on newlinethermo chemical calculations, pulsed UV laser radiation with wavelength 248 nm was newlineemployed as the functionalization tool. Spectroscopic investigation revealed the newlineaccomplishment of mono substitution of C60- cages at CH2 and CH side groups of NR. newlineSpectroscopic data helped to arrive at the possible structure of the functionalized product. newlineThermal studies confirmed this structural identification of the final product. XRD and newlineDSC data revealed that the new green fullerene derivative is more or less amorphous. newlineMorphological studies with SEM on the thin films of PIF 60 showed uniformly newlinedistributed and closely packed C60-NR broken chain structure with particle sizes ranging newlinefrom 25 to 50 nm. Electronic properties like HOMO-LUMO, charge mobility etc. are newlineevaluated through reliable methods. In the final part of the work Organic memory devices newlineand Organic solar cells are fabricated and characterized to demonstrate the application newlinepotential of this new green organic semiconductor. These encouraging results revealed newlinehitherto unknown application potential of Natural Rubber in electronic devices. newline