Recoil tritium–C60 interaction: a channel for endohedral encapsulation of tritium in C60 Original Research Article

The introduction of tritium (T), with an initial kinetic energy of 2.7 MeV into the cavity of C60 using recoil implantation is studied in a 6Li(n,α)T activated homogenized compound matrix of Li2CO3 and C60. Radioactive endohedral T@C60 could be detected through the liquid scintillation spectrometry coupled with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry provided evidence for the retainment of C60 cage as against radiation damage. Solid state temperature-programmed desorption based on evolved gas showed the desorption of 3He gas (as a β− decay product from T) from the endohedral C60 cage at a higher temperature than the T2 and T2O trapped species at the defect sites and from the ordered crystallographic network of Li2CO3, respectively. The non-isothermal kinetics of the helium desorption, as a function of temperature evidenced a diffusion controlled process.