FORMATION OF FULLERENES AND CARBON CLUSTERS BY LASER IRRADIATION OF POLYMERIC FULLERENE OXIDE (FULLERENE OZOPOLYMER)

ABSTRACT

Polymeric fullerene oxide (PFO) prepared by prolonged ozonation of C₆₀ fullerene has been laser irradiated and the resulting products formed have been studied by ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. It has been found that PFO produces a complete set of carbon clusters from C₆₀ up to C₁₆₄. The mechanism of formation of this set of fullerenic clusters implies necessarily a laser-induced carbonization step of the PFO substrate. Once the PFO target has been changed into the opportune carbon nanostructure by the laser radiation, the sequence of fullerene carbon clusters has been produced.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Our thanks to ASI, the Italian Space Agency, for the generous financial support of the present work.