Self-assembly of functionalized fullerenes

We report on the fabrication and characterization of ultrathin self-assembled fullerene films. Using a carboxy-functionalized fullerene and poly(ethylene imine), we prepare fullerene films by the layer-by-layer adsorption technique. Our structures exhibit a modulated electron density as evidenced by the observation of a quasi-Bragg reflection in X-ray reflectivity studies. This relatively high degree of order is attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonds.