The Constraction of a Pulsed-Arc Discharge Apparatus for Fullerenes and Nanotubes

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A new type of a pulsed-arc discharge sorce has been developed. The pulsed-arc source has several characteristics which includes (i) easy to combine with mass spectrometer, (ii) variable pulsed width, (iii) variable temperature and (iV) different discharge mechanism of graphite rods. The results of pulsed-arc of graphite indicate that fullerenes and single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are formed only high temperature conditions above 800 deg. The fullerenes and SWNTs are completely absent under ambient temperature conditions. This is a striking contrast to the conventional steady arc discharge of graphites, where fullerenes and SWNTs are formed under room temperature discharge. The present results strongly suggests that a thermal anealing process is absolutely necessary to generate fullerenes and SWNTs.The present pulsed-arc discharge appratus is also applicable to produce new types of endohedral metallofullerenes and endohedral SWNTs.