Structure and Morphology Characteristics of Fullerene C60 Nanotubes Fabricated with N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a Good Solvent

Abstract EN

Fullerene C60 nanotubes (FNTs) were prepared via liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) as precipitation agent at 8°C.

C60-saturated NMP solutions were exposed to visible light to promote the growth of FNTs.

Scanning electron microscopy revealed that fibers prepared in the NMP/IPA system show three different morphologies.

On the basis of the different morphologies of fullerene C60 nanofibers (FNFs), a possible growth mechanism to describe the formation process of FNTs is proposed.