A CYCLOADDITION MODEL FOR FULLERENE FORMATION

Since their discovery, the fullerenes have challenged scientists with a wide array of problems concerning their properties, behavior, and po tential applications. One such fundamental question is that of the ass embly of these carbon cages. Much effort has been directed at obtainin g an understanding of the process whereby graphite is transformed into fullerenes. In a previous work, we introduced a novel interpretation of the ion chromatography results from fullerene generation experiment s. In this work, that interpretation is expanded and ab initio calcula tions are performed to illustrate how the model explains the experimen tal results. This ''cycloaddition model'' is then used to develop a pl ausible fullerene assembly mechanism.