Formation of buckminsterfullerene and its perchlorinated fragments by laser ablation of perchloroacenaphthylene

Perchloroacenaphthylene(C12Cl8), a perchlorinated polycyclic hydrocarbon co mposed of two hexagons and a pentagon, was ablated by a pulsed laser beam i n a vacuum. The products created from the laser ablation were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with atmospheric pressur e chemical ionization mass spectrometry and rapid-scan ultraviolet spectrop hotometric detection. Buckminsterfullerene C-60 and various perchlorinated carbon clusters have been observed among the products. The observation is h elpful for understanding the formation mechanisms of fullerenes and suggest s that the Pentagon Road scheme is feasible with the involvement of chlorin es.