Thermal desorption of 3He from T@C60

The interaction of recoil tritium (T), with an initial kinetic energy of 2.7 MeV with C60 molecules, is studied in a 6Li(n,α)T activated homogenized compound matrix of Li2CO3 and C60. Liquid scintillation spectrometry coupled with high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed endohedral T insertion into the fullerene cage upon extraction of the fullerene species into the organic phase. Solid state temperature programmed desorption profiles of the activated compound target showed the desorption of 3He gas (as a β− decay product from T) from the endohedral T@C60 at 882 °C. The deconvoluted evolved gas analysis–mass spectral (EGA–MS) data provided a 25% probability of T@C60 formation upon nuclear activation of the compound target. The non-isothermal kinetics of the tritium desorption, studied as a function of temperature, revealed the process to be diffusion controlled.