Fullerene Research

Fullerenes have started the big research explosion in carbon nanomaterials since their discovery in 1985. We are interested in studying the structure of fullerenes and their derivatives and their electron spin properties. These molecules have attractive properties for a number of applications including energy harvesting, medical imaging and nanoelectronics.

Fullerene Synthesis

We have recently been awarded an EPSRC Fellowship to explore the manufacturing capacity and chemical functionalization of endohedral fullerenes. The grant, worth £1.5M over 5 years, will allow us to develop manufacturing methods for large-scale production of a variety of endohedral fullerenes. This project will develop the methodologies for gram-scale synthesis of nanomaterials and will synthesise molecules that are designed for specific applications. The research will involve collaboration with Prof. Hisanori Shinohara at Nagoya University and with Prof. Luis Echegoyen at The University of Texas (El Paso) who are both experts in endohedral fullerenes. The work will also involve collaborating with industry for commercial exploitation of the materials made in the laboratory.