title: Thermal stripping of supramolecular structures: C60 nanorods.
abstract: The investigated ionic C60 derivative self-assembles into nanorods. When the functional side groups are removed by heating the nanorods to 623 K, they retain their shape. Utilization of lithographic markers allows the study of identical nanostructures before and after heat treatment by dynamic mode atomic force microscopy. Various independent techniques, including Raman spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy demonstrate that the shape-preserving mechanism is a thermal-stripping process, stabilizing the original supramolecular morphology. The latter implies two coherent sub-processes: detachment of the side groups and oligopolymerization running in parallel, eventually yielding rod-shaped C60 polymers. Synthesizing fullerenic polymers in this way can lead to several applications.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Materialphysik, Universität Wien, A-1090 Wien, Strudlhofgasse 4, Austria
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mannsberger
authors.forename: Akos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kukovecz
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Georgakilas
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rechthaler
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schalko
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hasi
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Allmaier
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prato
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuzmany
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D037741:Fullerenes; D011108:Polymers; D002244:Carbon