Evidence of confinement of fullerene C60 in microporous VPI-5 zeolite

Andersonʹs method of incorporation of C60 within the cages of a VPI-5 zeolite has been used as well as a chemical vapor deposition procedure. 129Xe nuclear magnetic resonance has confirmed that, starting from an organic solution of fullerene, C60 was actually incorporated into the molecular cages of the inorganic matrix. Thermal analysis methods and X-ray diffraction show that the treatment does not affect the integrity of the crystalline structure of VPI-5. Photoluminescence experiments gave similar results to those already mentioned by other authors, indicating the probable confinement effect of the inorganic matrix on the C60 isolated molecules.