SUPPLY OF GASEOUS CARBON FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FULLERENES

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.