Effects of intense ultrasound treatment of C-60 solutions

C-60 was treated at room temperature, in air with intense ultrasound in the following solvents : decalin, tetralin. cyclohexane and CCl4. It is shown by UV-VIS and FT-W spectroscopy that in decalin and in tetralin the dominan t reaction seems to be a sono-oxidation, although more complex reactions in volving the solvent take place. In CCl4 sono-oxidation is accompanied by an extensive sono-polymerization. Products in CCl4 are C60O, C60O2 and others ; the sonopolymer collected from sonicated CCl4 was easily identified by FT -IR spectroscopy. Sonopolymerization occurs also in decalin and tetralin an d is promoted by Free radicals as in the case of CCl4. No reactions are obs erved in cyclohexane due to the very low solubility of C-60 in this solvent and the poor cavitation ability of cyclohexane under the action of ultraso und.