Synthesis and Properties of Nitrogen Atom Encapsulated Fullerene

Abstract

An electron spin resonance analysis confirms that an atomic nitrogen is encapsulated inside a sublimated fullerene (C₆₀) molecule in a radio frequency (RF) discharge plasma. It is observed that the electron beam superimposed RF plasma whose parameters are easily controlled has remarkable effects on the synthesis of the nitrogen atom encapsulated fullerene (N@C₆₀). Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used to characterize the nitrogen species in the plasma, and it is clarified that the moderately low gas pressure and high RF power effectively dissociate the nitrogen molecules, resulting in the enhancement of the purity of N@C₆₀.