Thermal and oxidative analyses of buckminsterfullerene, C sub 60

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials; (United States)

OSTI ID:7115746

Milliken, J; Keller, T M; Baronavski, A P; McElvany, S W; Callahan, J H; Nelson, H H ^[1]

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1. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)

Recent developments in the preparation of the fullerene C{sub 60} and discussions of its stability relative to other polycarbon molecules have prompted the authors to examine its thermal and oxidative behavior. Haufler et al. have proposed that the stability of the fullerene spheroid, relative to a graphitic structure, is due to the absence of dangling bonds typical of those formed along the edges of graphitic layers. This suggestion is consistent with semiempirical and ab initio calculations that conclude that the icosahedral C{sub 60} molecule is more thermodynamically stable than a graphitic structure. In addition, numerous studies of the kinetics and oxidation mechanism of synthetic graphite have shown that reaction occurs at the edges of layer nets where the atoms are least strongly bonded into the lattice. The authors reasoned, therefore, that the absence of edges and dangling bonds in C{sub 60} would be expected to impart greater thermal and oxidative stability than is characteristic of graphite. Preliminary reports by Haufler et al. indicate that C{sub 60} does burn in oxygen; however, to the best of their knowledge, a controlled combustion or oxidation study has not been done.

• OSTI ID: 7115746
• Journal Information: Chemistry of Materials; (United States), Journal Name: Chemistry of Materials; (United States) Vol. 3:3; ISSN CMATE; ISSN 0897-4756
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360604* -- Materials-- Corrosion
Erosion
& Degradation
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
CARBON
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DATA
DECOMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FULLERENES
GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
INFORMATION
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDATION
PYROLYSIS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THERMAL ANALYSIS
THERMAL GRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES