Molar extinction coefficient of fullerenes and related hydrogenated derivatives “fulleranes”

Abstract

AbstractFullerenes, the carbon molecules with 60 and 70 atoms, were recently detected in a series of planetary nebulae, in protoplanetary nebulae and in other astrophysical objects. The detection and the quantitative determination of these molecules was made possible by the measurement of their reference infrared spectra and the relative molar extinction coefficients and integrated molar absorptivity on laboratory scale. It is expected that also fulleranes the hydrogenated derivatives of C60 and C70 may be present in the same objects where fullerenes were detected. This prompted us to synthesize the hydrogenated fullerenes, to record their infrared spectra and the measure the molar extinction coefficients and integrated molar absorptivity on laboratory scale to have a reference in the search of these fullerene derivatives in space