LASER SYNTHESIS OF FULLERENES FROM BENZENE-OXYGEN MIXTURES

Based on the transfer of vibrational energy from a CO2-laser excited s ensitizer (SF6) to benzene, the synthesis in a flux reactor of carbon soot containing fullerenes was performed. Obtained by feeding in the r eaction chamber vapors of benzene based mixtures, the soot was further processed looking for the final C-60/70 product. Fullerenes are produ ced in a continuous way at low or atmospheric pressure (200-760 Torr) under argon atmosphere. They are identified by FT-IR and Raman spectro scopies, high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques.