Synthesis, characterization and properties of C ₆₀ nanocrystals, nanowires and hierarchical nanostructures

In this article, we propose a simple and reproductive approach to prepare low dimension C ₆₀ nanostructures, which bases on the crystallization of C ₆₀ from volatile solution on the surface of substrates of different materials. The C ₆₀ nanowires that we obtained have a uniform shape with a length from 2 to 10 μm and a diameter from about 100 to 250 nm. In some cases, we could prepare the γor T-shaped nanostructures of C ₆₀, which may be due to the crystal growth simultaneous in different directions. Besides the nanowires, we have also obtained C ₆₀ nanoparticles with a diameter about 100 nm to 200 nm. The formation mechanism and electronic properties of the low-dimension nanostructures have also been investigated.