Electron Transfer in Functionalized Fullerenes

A considerable amount of work concerning systems in which C₆₀ is an electron acceptor has been published in the past three years, representing a substantial advance in knowledge over that summarized in the reviews published by Guldi and Kamat in 2000 [1] and by Martin et al. in 1998 [2]. Other reviews covering specific topics in this area have also appeared in the interim [3–5]. Accordingly, the present chapter will concentrate on new developments in this field, with only occasional reference to work published before 1999. The fundamental principles behind fullerene donor-acceptor systems are revisited and, for the first time, a section summarizing the experimental methods available for the study of these systems is presented. Other chapters in this volume deal with subjects that are very closely interwoven with the present discussion, specifically “Energy Transfer in Functionalized Fullerenes” (Armaroli), “Reorganization Energy in Functionalized Fullerenes” (Guldi), and “Photovoltaic Applications” (Hummelen). Where these subjects arise, as they will repeatedly, the reader will be referred to these chapters for more extensive discussions.