Synthesis of Doped Fullerene Clusters and Boron-Nitrogen Tubules Using Laser Ablation

A variety of nanostructured materials, including clusters, nanoparticles, nanotubules, and thin films, can be produced by using the laser-ablation technique. This paper reports our synthesis of (i) metal endohedral fullerene clusters, (ii) nitrogen doped fullerene clusters, and (iii) boron-nitrogen nanotubules and nanoparticles employing the laser-ablation technique. These novel materials have been characterized by electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The boron-nitrogen nanoparticles and nanotubules have been separated from other laser-ablation products, including boron particles and boron-nitride flakes, using a hydrogen-peroxide treatment.