Structural investigation of the C60/C70 whiskers fabricated by forming liquid–liquid interfaces of toluene with dissolved C60/C70 and isopropyl alcohol

Abstract

The structure of C60 and C70 whiskers with diameters between submicrometers and micrometers were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The fullerene whiskers were produced by forming liquid–liquid interfaces between toluene solutions of fullerenes and isopropyl alcohol. The growth fronts of C70 whiskers were observed to be crystalline. The C70 whiskers were assumed to be in a state of order–disorder transition. The whiskers of C60 are very flexible, and C60 whiskers bent strongly were torn into finer C60 whiskers. The C70 whiskers showed a higher crystallinity, though a high density of dislocations was observed in the C60 whiskers.