NEXAFS STUDIES OF HIGHER FULLERENES UP TO C-96

NEXAFS spectra of higher fullerenes C78, C84, C86, C88, C90, C92, C94 and C96 were measured for the first time. We examine these spectra in terms of the dependence of their densities of unoccupied states on me carbon number comparing with those of C60, C70 and C76. We also measur ed isomer-separated fullerenes which included carefully separated frac tions of (i) mixture of C84 with D2 and D2d symmetries, (ii) C84 with C2 symmetry, and (iii) C90 with C2 symmetry. We also compared the obse rved spectra with the densities of unoccupied states by ab initio calc ulations for C76 and C84.