Electron energy loss study of plasmon excitations in curved carbon network

In the present contribution, we focus on the plasmon excitations of curved carbon sp2 bonded materials: onion-like fullerenes and nanotubes. Experimental spatially resolved transmission Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) data are analysed within a dielectric approach where the anisotropy of particles is fully treated. Combination of theoretical simulation and experimental results allows the differentiation of tangential radial (12.8 eV) and tangential (16–19 eV) surface plasmon and of volume (23–27 eV) plasmons. A shift of the surface plasmon resonance energy with the electron impact parameter is attributed to a change of relative contributions of multipolar modes.