Well-defined fullerene nanowire arrays

Fullerene nanowire arrays with well-defined size and length have been prepared by a controllable technique. Fullerene molecules such as C-60 are introduced into the pores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates under a direct current (DC) electric field and polymerized in the pores. Structure analysis shows that the C-60 nanowires are mainly polycrystalline, and a <LF>rhombohedral polymeric phase is observed in their vibration spectra. The electrical conductivity of so-prepared nanowire arrays show a semiconducting behavior. The ability to fabricate the fullerene nanowire arrays with controlled structures represents an important step toward the development of chemical sensors and nanoscale electronic devices based on fullerenes.