Formation of fullerene(C60) by laser ablation in superfluid helium at 1.5 K

C-60 fullerene was detected in the deposit produced by the laser ablation of graphite rod in the superfluid helium at 1.5 K. From the mass spectrometry, it was found that the ratio, C-12(60)/(C59C)-C-12-C-13, differs from statistical one calculated by Poisson distribution for natural graphite. Assuming the recombination of atomic carbons to C-2 Molecules as an initial stage for C-60 formation, the different isotopic ratio within C-60 from Poisson statistics was ascribed to the tunneling recombination between C-12 and, C-13 atoms in the bubble state. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.