2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Development of new high Tc superconductors through internal and external dual-direction doping of carbon superatoms
| Project/Area Number |
18K18724
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
|---|
| Review Section |
Medium-sized Section 13:Condensed matter physics and related fields
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Osaka Metropolitan University (2022)
Osaka Prefecture University (2018-2021) |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2018-06-29 – 2023-03-31
|
| Keywords | Molecular nanocarbons / Superconductivity / Endohedral fullerene / Dual doping / Magnetism |
|---|
| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Most superconductors have simple structures built from atoms, but superconductors made from molecules arranged in solid structures also exist. Prominent examples are those of nanocarbon superatoms, the fullerenes (C60). They show the highest Tc (38 K) and do not lose their zero resistance performance even under extremely high magnetic fields (>90 Tesla). Here we used a new building block for molecular superconductors beyond C60. This is [Li@C60], an endohedral metallofullerene, which incorporates a Li+ ion inside the C60- cage. We have achieved a scalable method to obtain neutral Li+@C60(-) by chemical reduction of Li+@C60 using decamethylferrocene. To date, we have achieved a full structural characterization of the structural properties of the endohedral metallofullerene as a function of temperature and pressure. Numerous dual-direction-doped A+n[Li+@C60(n+1)-] phases have been isolated to-date and the challenging work on their structural and electronic characterization is on-going.
|
| Free Research Field |
Molecular superconductivity
|
| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
The project led to enhanced understanding of molecular superconductors. Beneficiaries are molecular electronics researchers. There are significant benefits to society (infrastructure and reduced energy usage, sustainable carbon components, reduced use of scarce metals) and industry (new materials).
|
