Mixing antisolvents induced modulation in the morphology of crystalline C60.

We present systematic studies of the synthesis of fullerene (C60) crystals with diverse morphologies by liquid-liquid interfacial precipitation (LLIP) method based on different alcohols as antisolvents and aromatic benzene as a solvent. C60 crystals are grown at liquid-liquid interface of mixed isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) with C60 solution in benzene. The role of mixing IPA and TBA on the morphology of C60 crystal is investigated. One dimensional (1 D) C60 nanowhiskers and polygon-shaped 2D sheets have been grown with individual IPA/benzene and TBA/benzene system, respectively. However, C60 crystals of different morphology (1D, 2D or both), and the self-assembly of nano-sized C60 into micron-sized crystals could be obtained upon mixing IPA and TBA and it is the mixing ratio which determines the morphology. Raman scattering and power X-ray diffraction measurements have shown that these materials are crystalline with cubic and hexagonal structures.