FULLERENE C-60 DESTRUCTION UNDER SHEAR DEFORMATION AND HIGH-PRESSURE ACTION

Fullerene C-60 was subjected to shear deformation and high pressure (3 .3 GPa) action. The products obtained can be divided into unchanged C- 60 and a black substance insoluble in benzene. The latter part increas es with severity of shear deformation applied. The IR and Raman spectr a of the transformed material lacked significant signals, giving evide nce of the destruction of the C-60 buckyball structure and formation o f a phase closer to the amorphous system of sp(2) and sp(3) hybridized carbon atoms. Scratching and abrasion phenomena observed under SDHP a ction, must be attributed to the newly formed carbon phase and not to the initial C-60 nature.