TDA is a leader in fullerenes and nanotubes, including low cost production, separation, and medical applications. Our production process is used in the Frontier Carbon Corp. 40 ton/year plant, TDA is pioneering the development of the large (small-bandgap) fullerenes with 82 or more carbon atoms, and we are developing medical and imaging applications of fullerenes, endohedral fullerenes and nanotubes. Our unique carbons with controlled, bimodal pore size distributions can be used as high performance electrodes in ultracapacitors, capacitive deionization (desalination), batteries and fuel cells.
Low Cost Fullerene Production: TDA’s combustion synthesis process for fullerene production which inexpensively produces both soluble C60 and C70, as well as larger insoluble fullerenes is the heart of the Frontier Carbon Corp. 40 ton per year production plant, and we are continuing to improve the process.
Fullerene Separations: Fullerenes larger than C82 account for 50% of the fullerenes made in the combustion process, but because these materials are insoluble in common solvents, they have so far been largely ignored. TDA is developing low-cost methods for recovering these materials.
Imaging Agents: Metals such as gadolinium (Gd) used in MRI contrast agents are highly toxic. By enclosing them in the impermeable shell of a fullerene, such metals can be safely used. TDA is developing methods to make and purify these materials, and derivatize them to give them the solubility they need.
Radiopharmaceuticals: Radioisotopes used to kill cancerous cells can damage healthy cells if they escape from their carriers or are carried to the wrong part of the body. TDA is encapsulating these materials in the ultra-stable fullerene shells (endohedral metallofullerenes), and developing the chemistries to solubilizes them and link them to antibody targeting agents.
Nanoencapsulates: TDA is developing an exciting new class of nanomaterials, the metal-carbon nanoencapsulates, foruse in medial and electronics applications. Nanoencapsulates concist of a metal cluster surrounded by onion-like concentric shells of graphitic carbon. The special properties of nanoencapsulates will allow them to outperform existing technology in areas as diverse as superparamagnetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast enhancing agents, radiopharmaceuticals, and magnetic data recording media. TDA specializes in the surface derivatization chemistry and solubilization of the metal-carbon nanoencapsulates that is the key to making these particles useful.
Antioxidants: Fullerene-based compounds have the potential to be patent antioxidants to protect low-density lipoproteins. These materials may be useful against atherosclerosis.
High Surface Area
Electrode Carbons with Tailored Pores: Electrodes used in liquid phase processes
such as ultracapacitors, capacitive deionization systems, polymer electrolyte
fuel cells and Li ion batteries need high surface area carbons with a tailored
combination of micropores and mesopores. TDA’s carbons have the tailored
pore size distributions that provide high performance, yet can be produced very
inexpensively.