Electron energy loss study of plasmon excitations in curved carbon network

In the present contribution, we focus on the plasmon excitations of curved carbon sp(2) bonded materials: onion-like fullerenes and nanotubes. Experimental spatially resolved transmission Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) data are analysed within a dielectric approach where the anisotropy of particles is fully treated. Combination of theoretical simulation and experimental results allows the differentiation of tangential radial (12.8 eV) and tangential (16-19 eV) surface plasmon and of volume (23-27 eV) plasmons. A shift of the surface plasmon resonance energy with the electron impact parameter is attributed to a change of relative contributions of multipolar modes.