Ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene and production method thereof

• US 5,951,832 A
• Filed: 10/06/1998
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shun-ichiro, Xu, Bing She
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorgos, Kathryn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Edna
• Application Number:
  US09/166,799
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 204/157.4, 204/157.41, 204/157.44, 204/157.47, 423/445 B, 423/DIG. 39, 423/DIG. 40
• US Class Current: 204/157.47
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/15 Nano-sized carbon materials
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/152 Fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/154 Preparation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/156 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 423/39 Fullerene, e.g. c60, c70 derivative and related process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 423/40 Fullerene composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/736 having atoms interior to the carbon cage

Abstract

After an ultrafine particle is disposed on a giant fullerene by driving the ultrafine particle using an electron beam, the ultrafine particle is enclosed in a core hollow portion of the giant fullerene, by contracting the giant fullerene with the electron beam irradiation. Or a metal ultrafine particle composed of an active metal is enclosed in the core hollow portion of the giant fullerene, by irradiating a high energy beam such as the electron beam to an amorphous carbon including the active metal to form the giant fullerene in an irradiated portion, and by contracting the giant fullerene with the irradiation of the high energy beam.

Claims

1. A method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene, comprising the steps of:

producing a giant fullerene on an amorphous carbon film in a vacuum, disposing an ultrafine particle on said giant fullerene by irradiating said ultrafine particle with an electron beam, and

enclosing said ultrafine particle in a core hollow portion of said giant fullerene by contracting said giant fullerene by further irradiation with the electron beam.

2. The method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said step of producing said giant fullerene comprises irradiating a metastable metal oxide particle disposed on the amorphous carbon film with an electron beam of more than 1×

10¹⁹ e/cm².sec.

3. The method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene as set forth in claim 2,

wherein said metastable metal oxide particle is a θ

-Al₂ O₃ particle.

4. The method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said ultrafine particle is an Al ultrafine particle with a diameter of 5 to 20 nm.

5. A method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene, comprising the step of:

disposing an active metal particle on an amorphous carbon film in a vacuum,

producing a giant fullerene by irradiating said amorphous carbon film on which said active metal particle is disposed with an electron beam in the vacuum, and

enclosing the said active metal particle in a core hollow portion of said giant fullerene by contracting said giant fullerene with a further irradiation of said electron beam.

6. The method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene as set forth in claim 5, wherein said active metal particle is an Al ultrafine particle with a diameter of 5 to 100 nm.

7. The method for producing an ultrafine particle enclosing fullerene as set forth in claim 5, wherein said electron beam has an intensity of more than 1×

10¹⁹ e/cm².sec.