Controllable Growth of Fullerene Nanostructures

One‐dimensional fullerene nanostructures with well‐defined morphology have been prepared by a controllable method. Fullerene molecules, such as C₆₀ derivatives and endohedral metallofullerenes, are introduced into the pores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates under a direct current (DC) electric field. Then several nanostructures such as porous‐wall and solid‐wall fullerene nanowires and nanotubes were fabricated in the pores. The morphology of the fullerene nanostructures is well controllable, and the fullerene nanotubes can be further fabricated through filling nickel atoms inside to form fullerene‐metal composite structures. The results provide, in principle, a step toward broader applications of fullerene‐related materials in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Keywords:

• fullerenes
• metallofullerenes
• nanowires
• nanotubes
• template synthesis

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50503001), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. KZ200510012010), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (No. NCET‐05‐0204), and the Program for Excellent Talents in Beijing. Professor Chun‐Ru Wang (Institute of Chemistry, CAS) is thanked for access to fullerenes and helpful suggestions.