Colorful Carbon Nanopopcorns Formed by Codepositing C60 with Diamond-like Carbon Followed by Reaction with Water Vapor

Abstract

Abstract We report the synthesis of a new carbon material—diamond-like carbon film codeposited with 1% C60 molecules—by plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The synthesized films exhibited strong iridescent colors after being exposed to an atmosphere containing water vapor. An electron microscopy examination revealed that the film expanded by a factor of more than two, while forming 10–100-nm-sized grain-like structures after its exposure to water vapor. This work demonstrates a new concept of incorporating reaction centers in carbon solids to make carbon-based nanostructures.