The Observation of Large Concentric Shell Fullerenes and Fullerene-like Nanoparticles in Laser Pyrolysis Carbon Blacks

Abstract

It has been shown that carbon blacks produced by iron carbonyl-catalyzed CO2-laser pyrolysis of benzene (laser pyrolysis carbon blacks) are characterized by a two-level nanostructure, i.e., they consist of amorphous carbon nanoparticles 30−40 nm in size and fullerene molecules where the fullerenes are predominantly represented by C60. Heat treatment of the blacks at 3000 °C causes restructurization with the appearance of fullerene-like multishell nanoparticles of ∼20 nm in size, higher fullerenes, and multishell fullerenes. Unlike classical fullerenes, which have a cage structure and are known to have been synthesized in a variety of sizes (C60, C70, C84, C102, etc.), multishell fullerenes have a cage-inside-cage structure. Direct transmission electron microscopy observation of the cage-inside-cage clusters shows the occurrence of at least three varieties: two-shell 14-Å-sized C60@C240, two-shell 20-Å-sized (C240@C560), and also three-shell 20-Å-sized (C80@C240@C560).

TEM study of structure of graphene layers in shungite carbon

“…The exception to this were smoothly curved short-length layers up to 10 nm, forming open and closed structures, including, similar in configuration and size, fullerenes C 240 and C 560 (Fig. 2) [6].…”

Laboratory Experiments on the Low-temperature Formation of Carbonaceous Grains in the ISM

“…The individual fullerene molecules are dispersed in the solid carbon material. C 60 and other fullerenes were frequently identified in particulate carbon samples produced in gas-phase condensation processes such as combustion or in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (Mordkovich 2000, Rotundi et al 2006, Becker et al 2006. HRTEM image simulations have demonstrated that fullerene molecules produce a ring or doughnut-like structure in the HRTEM (Goel et al 2004, Becker et al 2006, Terrones 2010.…”

Method to obtain carbon nano-onions by pyrolisys of propane

“…In this procedure a powerful laser beam knocks a gaseous flux containing a carbon source component which is converted into CNPs. Mordkovich showed in 2000 the synthesized carbon's content of SCNPs and a small concentration of small multishell fullerenes [8].…”

“…Kroto and McKay [3] proposed that carbon onions may correspond to a series of Goldberg's nested giant fullerenes with the following configuration:C 60 @ C 240 ...@ C 60n 2 H. Terrones [5] added two other new families that exhibited an icosahedral shape in which the interlayer space was equal to the one in the former family. The families of giant fullerenes considered by Terrones' group can be generated by the following series: C 260 @ C 560 @ C 960 ... and C 140 @ C 380 @...Numerous experimental works have revealed the presence of nanoparticles corresponding to: C 60 @ C 240 and C 60 @ C 240 @C 540 [6][7][8].…”