Photo-, radio- and sonostoragechemiluminescence of buckminsterfullerene C-60

Buckminsterfullerene, C-60, exhibits photo-, radio- and sonostoragechemilum inescence. Photolysis, radiolysis or sonolysis results in stable products, while subsequent oxidation of the reaction mixtures, constitutes the chemil uminescence step. Besides being an energy storage system in the sense that light, ionizing radiation or ultrasound is absorbed, stored and light is em itted at will, the radiostorage-chemiluminescence of C-60 of the present wo rk has the prospects of forming the basis of novel radiation dosemeters up to 500 Gy. Also, novel analytical applications for said fullerenes based on the photo-, radio- or sonostoragechemiluminescence promise detection limit s as low as 7.2 ppb of sample. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights re served.