Comparative Spectroscopic Characterization of the Basic and the Higher Fullerenes

The basic C60 and C70, and the higher fullerenes, mainly C76 and C84, were extracted by original procedures, with p-xylene and the mixture of xylenes from the samples of initial carbon soot, produced in electrical arc. The extracts were obtained in increased and high yields of 6% and 11.9%, respectively, due to application of the advanced procedures. The solubility of fullerenes in these solvents was compared. Chromatographic separation of the basic and the higher fullerenes from the obtained p-xylene extract was performed by continue elution, in one phase of the process, under atmospheric pressure, with original, defined gradient of solvents, from pure hexane to 75% toluene in hexane, on active Al2O3 column, by a new, improved method. Comparative spectroscopic characterization of the obtained purified fullerene fractions and the extracts is reported. The IR and UV/VIS techniques that have not been presented previously for the higher fullerenes were employed as a contribution to better introduction of their optical absorption properties.