HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY STUDIES OF A MICROPOROUS CARBON PRODUCED BY ARC-EVAPORATION

The soot produced as a byproduct of fullerene synthesis by arc-evapora tion consists of a microporous carbon with a surface area, after activ ation with carbon dioxide, of ca. 700 m(2) g(-1). Here, we investigate the structure of this material, and its appearance after electron irr adiation and high-temperature heat treatment, using high-resolution el ectron microscopy. We show that the heat treatment transforms the new carbon into a structure containing large, tube-like pores, rather than into polycrystalline graphite. This suggests that the arc-evaporated carbon may have a novel, fullerene-related microstructure, and that it may be the precursor for nanotube formation.