Chemical synthesis and characterization of the C60-Pd polymer spherical nanoparticles

The chemical synthesis of C60-Pd polymer carried out in benzene solution containing Pd2(dba)3·CHCl3 and fullerene C60 results in formation of large cubic particles with size ranges from 20 to 80 μm which are composed of a small spherical nanoparticles 20–200 nm in diameter. These cubic particles can be disintegrated to spherical nanoparticles with the high energy ultrasound. The size of synthesized C60-Pd nanoparticles can be controlled by the composition of grown solution, time of polymerization, the temperature of synthesis, and the stirring conditions. The most uniform in size particles were synthesized in solution containing 3:1 ratio of [Pd] to [C60] concentration. Dispersed C60-Pd nanoparticles are stable in many organic protic and aprotic solvents. The Hansen dispersive force parameter, δd, and dipole–dipole interaction parameter, δp, govern the stability of C60-Pd dispersions. The electrochemical properties of films formed from chemically synthesized nanoparticles were investigated. Special attention was paid to capacitance properties. The electrochemical behavior of these films resembles the one observed for electrochemically synthesized polymers. Electrochemical activity of these materials is related to the reduction of fullerene moieties. Capacitance properties of films formed from C60-Pd nanoparticles depend on the size of polymeric nanoparticles. The specific capacitance of the polymer formed in solution containing 1:1 ratio of [Pd] to [C60] reaches the value reported for the electrochemically synthesized material.