The method of fullerene production by graphite evaporation has been mo
dified by adding carbonaceous gases to the noble gas atmosphere. Time
of flight mass spectrometry and optical absorption measurements on the
reaction products are reported. Whereas simple hydrocarbons prevent t
he growth of fullerenes the addition of a fluorinated carbonaceous gas
yields large carbon molecules in the C2n-sequence, molecules with 2n
not-equal 60 at present occuring comparatively abundant.