In situ observation of the formation and stability of single fullerene molecules under electron irradiation

✍ Scribed by Thomas Füller; Florian Banhart

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 630 KB
• Volume: 254
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2614
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2614(96)00338-7

✦ Synopsis

Single fullerene cages are generated by irradiating different carbon specimens with electrons in an electron microscope. The process is non-thermal and slow and hence accessible to direct observation. Under irradiation, lattice planes unwind from graphitic particles, bend and close by forming irregular cages which shrink and undulate until fullerene-like spherical cages are left. These prove to be stable under intense irradiation in contrast to C60 molecules within fullerite crystals. A mechanism based on sputtering and exchange of atoms by collisions with electrons from the beam is proposed to explain the formation and stability of fullerene molecules on graphitic surfaces.