Specifics of C60 Fullerene Cluster Formation in a Solvent Mixture of Toluene and N-Methyl-2-Pyrollidone

Abstract

The two-level organization of C₆₀ fullerene clusters in solutions of C₆₀ in pure toluene and toluene/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solvent mixtures is studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS data for freshly prepared solutions are compared with the data obtained by dynamic light scattering, a technique we use to assess the temporal stability of the prepared solutions. For all solutions in the mixed solvent, regardless of the ratio between the polar and nonpolar components, the UV−Vis absorption spectra tend to become featureless with time. We attribute this behavior primarily to the presence of the polar component in the molecular environment of fullerene molecules.