Carbyne formation by synchrotron radiation

Thin carbon films prepared by vacuum evaporation using the arc method were mounted on a standard electron microscope copper grid. They were irradiated by white synchrotron radiation (SR) beam by the use of cylindrical and tor oidal mirrors. The irradiated film was examined using a high-resolution ele ctron microscope alpha and alpha + beta mixture carbyne crystals were grown in round and the elongated shapes. The round crystals were composed of 5-1 0 nm crystallites of a carbyne form. The elongated crystal grew into a sing le crystal 100 nm in size. The c-axes of both grown crystals were oblique t o the film. The growth of the carbynes was discussed as being the result of nucleation due to graphite microcrystallites formed by SR beam irradiation . (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.