Amorphous diamond from C60 fullerene

Abstract

Amorphous diamond was successfully quenched from shock-compressed C60 fullerene by rapid cooling technique. This material is transparent and homogeneous glassy chips, and exists stably at ambient conditions. X-ray diffractometry showed a halo, and electron diffractometry showed a diffuse pattern similar to those of common amorphous carbon materials. Electron energy loss spectroscopy represented evidently σ-electron state in sp3 hybridization completely equivalent to that of a typical diamond. Therefore, this material is defined in long range order to be amorphous and in short range order to be diamond, namely it can be said as amorphous diamond.