Material Properties and Purity of C₆₀

Abstract

The fullerenes can be described as molecular analogues of activated charcoal with a large inner surface. Accordingly, in the solid state, C 60 adsorbs organic molecules and oxygen from the air. The conditions of the production, purification, and storage therefore dictate the electronic and dynamic properties of the van der Waals crystals. Obtaining fullerene samples with defined and reproducible properties is more difficult than previously thought.