Fullerenes and Fullerane

A significant fraction of the fullerenes and buckyonions in the interstellar medium could be hydrogenated as discussed by Webster in 1992 (see Fig. 1.4). These molecules, named genetically as fulleranes have deserved attention as potential carriers of diffuse intestellar bands and other interstellar and circumstellar features (Webster 1991, 1992, 1993a). Both, fullerenes and fulleranes have been detected in samples of the Allende meteorite (Becker et al. 1994), see Fig. 1.3b. 

Low Temperature Infrared Spectroscopy of and C70 Fullerenes and Fullerane C60H18 205... 

Fig. 3.3 FT-IR spectra (in KBr) of fullerane C6ffH36 (top spectrum) and the soot formed by its thermal decomposition at 630°C under inert atmosphere (bottom spectrum). The four band pattern spectrum at the bottom of the figure at 6.99, 8.45, 17.39 and 19.05 pm is due to C60 fullerene. Thus, fullerane by thermal processing can form back quite easily fullerene which in its turn is able to react with atomic hydrogen forming back hydrogenated fullerene or fullerane...

The present chapter is therefore dedicated to review the low temperature infrared spectroscopy of C60 and C70 fullerenes, C60H18 fullerane (one of the most stable hydrogenated derivative of fullerenes) and a mixture of hydrogenated fullerenes referred collectively as C60H/C70Hy. Additionally, also the gas phase spectra of C60 and C70 fullerenes will be shortly reviewed. 

As well as new properties of these molecules that have come to light with the discovery and nomenclating of the higher lullerenes and fulleranes, an extension that is unfathomable using traditional nomenclature, but is readily explained using beta bonds is next described when some of the carbon atoms are replaced by metal atoms in various of the smaller fullerenes. These molecules, which historically are not in the domain of... 

F. Cataldo and S. Iglesias-Groth (eds.), Fulleranes The Hydrogenated Fullerenes, Carbon Materials Chemistry and Physics 2, DOI 10.1007/978-l-4020-9887-l l, Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010... 

In this chapter, we review the possible contribution of single fullerenes, fulleranes and buckyonions to the interstellar extinction and the anomalous microwave emission. We compare their photoabsorption spectra with some of the observational properties of interstellar extinction, in particular with the characteristics of the UV bump and with the distribution of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) in the optical and near infrared and discuss the potential of fulleranes as carriers of anomalous microwave emission. 

We will consider here the various families of fulleranes CN H that can be formed from icosahedral fullerenes with N = 60, 180, 240, 540, 960, 1,500, and 2,160 carbon atoms. Buckyonions can also be hydrogenated. We will consider here only... 

Fullerenes, fulleranes and buckyonions are expected to present weaker transitions in the optical and near infrared with their number decreasing towards longer wavelengths. These transitions may be responsible for some of the known but unexplained diffuse interstellar bands. It would be very important to obtain high sensitivity, high resolution laboratory spectra of these molecules in the optical and near infrared for a more precise comparison with the very detailed observations of DIBs. 

F. Cataldo and S. Iglesias-Groth (eds.), Fulleranes The Hydrogenated Fullerenes,... 

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