Abstract
Single fullerene cages are generated by irradiating different carbon specimens with electrons in an electron microscope. The process is non-thermal and slow and hence accessible to direct observation. Under irradiation, lattice planes unwind from graphitic particles, bend and close by forming irregular cages which shrink and undulate until fullerene-like spherical cages are left. These prove to be stable under intense irradiation in contrast to C 60 molecules within fullerite crystals. A mechanism based on sputtering and exchange of atoms by collisions with electrons from the beam is proposed to explain the formation and stability of fullerene molecules on graphitic surfaces.
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