Answer to Question #101543 in General Chemistry for Jackie

Question

What type of intermolecular interaction does two or more molecules of buckminsterfullerenes exhibit? Explain.

Answer 1

The intermolecular interactions in buckminsterfullenes are van der Waals forces. The intermolecular interaction between the polymer and fullerene tends to be strong in efficient photovoltaic systems, as evidenced by efficient charge transfer processes and by large changes in the energetics of the polymer and fullerene when they are molecularly mixed. Despite the clear presence of these strong intermolecular interactions between the polymer and fullerene, there is not a consensus on the nature of these interactions.