Infrared Investigations of C60 and C70 Nanoparticle Interactions with the Amide Functionality in Formamide

Abstract

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the interactions between C₆₀
and C₇₀ nanoparticles and the amide functionality in formamide. Infrared spectra were collected for neat
formamide, formamide in a toluene environment, formamide in a C₆₀ toluene environment, and formamide
in a C₇₀ toluene environment. A Digilab FTS 7000 infrared spectrometer and a ZnSe circle cell were used for
spectral data collection. Challenges were expected and encountered because of solubility compatibilities of
the reagents and special ATR spectral collection issues; however, these challenges helped shape the final
form of the study and are addressed in the paper. Shifts of the carbonyl, stretching frequency to higher
wavenumbers, were observed when formamide was treated with both the C₆₀ and C₇₀ indicating nanoparticle
interactions with its amide functionality. The spectrum of neat formamide showed a carbonyl absorption
near 1665 cm⁻¹; the spectrum of formamide in a toluene environment showed a carbonyl absorption near
1669 cm⁻¹; and the spectra of formamide in a toluene environment with C₆₀ and C₇₀ showed carbonyl
absorptions near 1677 cm⁻¹. Spectral subtraction was used to identify the carbonyl absorptions (near 1690
cm⁻¹) for the nanoparticle (C₆₀ and C₇₀) - formamide complexes.