Mechanism for fullerene formation proposed

Journal Article · Mon Mar 07 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Chemical and Engineering News; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/cen-v072n016.p027· OSTI ID:7233167

Haggin, J

A research group at Northwestern University has proposed a mechanism for the formation of fullerenes from large planar carbon rings. Martin F. Jarrold, a professor of chemistry at Northwestern, Evanston, Ill., has reported the results of his group's work in The Journal of Physical Chemistry [98, 1810 (1994)]. According to Jarrold, small assemblies of carbon atoms may evaporate from bulk graphite surfaces and coalesce to form small bicyclic rings of 10 atoms or more. The rings may then coalesce further to generate clusters. At high temperatures, the clusters may anneal (thermally equilibrate) into large monocyclic rings that may then further undergo coalescence and annealing. When growth approaches about 40 atoms, it is possible for the monocyclic ring to convert to a spheroidal geometry. The activation energy for this conversion does not seem to depend on cluster size if the cluster is at least C[sub 60]. Below this size, the probability of forming a fullerene is estimated to be about 10%; above this size, the probability is about 80%. The result of the sequence of coalescence and annealing should be a distribution of fullerenes consisting of between 40 and 120 carbon atoms.

• OSTI ID: 7233167
• Journal Information: Chemical and Engineering News; (United States), Journal Name: Chemical and Engineering News; (United States) Vol. 72:10; ISSN 0009-2347; ISSN CENEAR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
CARBON
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COALESCENCE
ELEMENTS
EVAPORATION
FULLERENES
KINETICS
NONMETALS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
REACTION KINETICS
SYNTHESIS