Carbon materials having carbon aggregates, where the aggregates include carbon nanoparticles and no seed particles, are disclosed. In various embodiments, the nanoparticles include graphene, optionally with multi-walled spherical fullerenes and/or another carbon allotrope. In various embodiments, the nanoparticles and aggregates have different combinations of: a Raman spectrum with a 2D-mode peak and a G-mode peak, and a 2D/G intensity ratio greater than 0.5, a low concentration of elemental impurities, a high Brunauer-Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area, a large particle size, and/or a high electrical conductivity. Methods are provided to produce the carbon materials.

The present application relates to a method for preparing a carbon carrier-metal nanoparticle composite and a carbon carrier-metal nanoparticle composite prepared thereby, and has an advantage in that it is possible to improve dispersibility and supporting ratio of metal nanoparticles with respect to a carbon carrier by efficiently supporting metal nanoparticles having a uniform size of several nanometers on evenly dispersed carbon carriers.

Methods and systems include supplying pulsed microwave radiation through a waveguide, where the microwave radiation propagates in a direction along the waveguide. A pressure within the waveguide is at least 0.1 atmosphere. A supply gas is provided at a first location along a length of the waveguide, a majority of the supply gas flowing in the direction of the microwave radiation propagation. A plasma is generated in the supply gas, and a process gas is added into the waveguide at a second location downstream from the first location. A majority of the process gas flows in the direction of the microwave propagation at a rate greater than 5 slm. An average energy of the plasma is controlled to convert the process gas into separated components, by controlling at least one of a pulsing frequency of the pulsed microwave radiation, and a duty cycle of the pulsed microwave radiation.

A LiBH.sub.4C.sub.60 nanocomposite that displays fast lithium ionic conduction in the solid state is provided. The material is a homogenous nanocomposite that contains both LiBH.sub.4 and a hydrogenated fullerene species. In the presence of C.sub.60, the lithium ion mobility of LiBH.sub.4 is significantly enhanced in the as prepared state when compared to pure LiBH.sub.4. After the material is annealed the lithium ion mobility is further enhanced. Constant current cycling demonstrated that the material is stable in the presence of metallic lithium electrodes. The material can serve as a solid state electrolyte in a solid-state lithium ion battery.

A LiBH.sub.4C.sub.60 nanocomposite that displays fast lithium ionic conduction in the solid state is provided. The material is a homogenous nanocomposite that contains both LiBH.sub.4 and a hydrogenated fullerene species. In the presence of C.sub.60, the lithium ion mobility of LiBH.sub.4 is significantly enhanced in the as prepared state when compared to pure LiBH.sub.4. After the material is annealed the lithium ion mobility is further enhanced. Constant current cycling demonstrated that the material is stable in the presence of metallic lithium electrodes. The material can serve as a solid state electrolyte in a solid-state lithium ion battery.

Polyhydroxyfullerenes (PHFs) having enhanced electron scavenging capabilities have a ratio of non-hydroxyl functional groups to hydroxyl functional groups that is less than or equal to 0.3. When combined with a semiconductor photocatalyst, such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles, the PHFs provide a photocatalyst for degradation of chemical and biological contaminates with an efficiency of at least twice that of titanium dioxide nanoparticles free of PHFs. The PHFs are included in these catalysts at a weight ratio to titanium dioxide of about 0.001 to about 0.003, whereas significantly lower and higher ratios do not achieve the highly improved photodegradation capability. PHFs outside of the desired structure are shown to be of little value for photodegradation, and can be inhibiting to the photocatalytic activity of TiO.sub.2. The enhanced electron scavenging PHFs can be employed as a component of materials for solar cells, field effect transistors, and radical scavengers.

A method for preparing a preblend of nano-structured carbon, such as nanotubes, fullerenes, or graphene, and a particulate solid, such as polymer beads, carbon black, graphitic particles or glassy carbon involving wet-mixing and followed by optional drying to remove the liquid medium. The preblend may be in the form of a core-shell powder material with the nano-structured carbon as the shell on the particulate solid core. The preblend may provide particularly improved dispersion of single-wall nanotubes in ethylene--olefin elastomer compositions, resulting in improved reinforcement from the nanotubes. The improved elastomer compositions may show simultaneous improvement in both modulus and in elongation at break. The elastomer compositions may be formed into useful rubber articles.

The present specification relates to a fullerene derivative, an organic solar cell including the same, and a fabricating method thereof.

A hydroxylated-fullerene-containing solution in which a hydroxylated fullerene is evenly nano-dispersed in a solvent removable at low temperature in a subsequent step is provided. The hydroxylated-fullerene-containing solution includes a continuous phase including a mixed solvent consisting essentially of tetrahydrofuran and water or including melted phenol, and at least one of a hydroxylated fullerene and a hydroxylated fullerene derivative that is dispersed as a dispersed phase in the continuous phase, wherein the number-standard average particle diameter of particles in the dispersed phase is 50 nm or less. This solution is applied onto a surface of a resin molding, and then tetrahydrofuran and water, as the mixed solvent, are removed to form a hydroxylated fullerene layer on the surface of the resin molding. Alternatively, this solution is mingled with a resin, and then the mixed solvent is removed to produce a hydroxylated-fullerene-containing resin composition.

Disclosed here is a method for producing a graphene macro-assembly (GMA)-fullerene composite, comprising providing a GMA comprising a three-dimensional network of graphene sheets crosslinked by covalent carbon bonds, and incorporating at least 20 wt. % of at least one fullerene compound into the GMA based on the initial weight of the GMA to obtain a GMA-fullerene composite. Also described are a GMA-fullerene composite produced, an electrode comprising the GMA-fullerene composite, and a supercapacitor comprising the electrode and optionally an organic or ionic liquid electrolyte in contact with the electrode.