In situ synthesis and characterization of fullerene derivatives by Knudsen-cell mass spectrometry

The use of a mass spectrometer equipped with a Knudsen cell as a chemical reactor for studies of solid-state reactions of fullerenes is described. The simultaneous generation and mass-spectrometric detection of the volatile products provided a wealth of information on the dynamics of formation and the distribution of products as reaction conditions were varied in each synthesis/characterization experiment. A combination of new results and previously published data are used to demonstrate how in situ Knudsen-cell mass spectrometry led to the rapid development of an important branch of synthetic fullerene chemistry that has yielded many new fluorofullerenes and related derivatives with novel structures and properties. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.