Comparative Spectroscopic Characterization of the Basic and the Higher Fullerenes

Abstract

The basic C₆₀ and C₇₀, and the higher fullerenes, mainly C₇₆ and C₈₄, were extracted by original procedures, with p-xylene and the mixture of xylenes from the samples of initial carbon soot, produced in electrical arc. The extracts were obtained in increased and high yields of 6% and 11.9%, respectively, due to application of the advanced procedures. The solubility of fullerenes in these solvents was compared. Chromatographic separation of the basic and the higher fullerenes from the obtained p-xylene extract was performed by continue elution, in one phase of the process, under atmospheric pressure, with original, defined gradient of solvents, from pure hexane to 75% toluene in hexane, on active Al₂O₃ column, by a new, improved method. Comparative spectroscopic characterization of the obtained purified fullerene fractions and the extracts is reported. The IR and UV/VIS techniques that have not been presented previously for the higher fullerenes were employed as a contribution to better introduction of their optical absorption properties.

Keywords:

• Initial carbon soot
• fullerenes
• extractions
• chromatographic separation
• optical absorption properties

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Ministry of Science, Serbia, for financial support of this research (project III 45009) and to MER Corporation, Tucson, Ariz. (USA) for carbon soot material.