On the possibility of the electron polarization to be the driving force for the C60-TMB nanowire growth

The effect of electron polarization has been suggested to explain the exceptionally large length-to width aspect ratio (more than 3000) in recently observed C60-based nanowires. The theoretical estimates performed in the present Letter show that at room temperature the effect of electron polarization is negligibly small and, therefore, cannot become the driving force for nanowire growth along one preferential direction. Experimental measurements are in agreement with the theoretical analysis: the nanowires have been observed to emerge from the polar 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and non-polar 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene solution of C60, while no nanowires from polar toluene, 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene and non-polar benzene solutions could be recorded.