Production of fullerene and heterofullerene

PURPOSE: To improve the yield by evaporating a C forming body or a C forming body in contact with a BN forming body in an electromagnetic induction heating zone in protecting gas atmosphere so as to extract by solvent after separating as soot containing fullerene on a cooling surface. CONSTITUTION: The electromagnetic induction heating zone 5 is arranged in a quarts glass tube 1 with a water cooler 2. Throttle valves 9, 10 and a barometer 11 are mounted to the lower part of the tube 1 to adjust a protecting gas flow rate of He, etc. Under the evacuation of a C forming body of a cylindrical graphite, etc., of 5 to 60 mm inner diameter and 1 to 25 mm wall thickness arranged within the zone 5 and a C forming body in a solid or thin-layer state in contact with a BN forming body, a high frequency generator 4 is energized by the protecting gas atmosphere of 10 to 400 hPa to heat to higher than 2500°C to evaporate it. After separating the evaporated part as soot containing fullerene on the cooling surface, the soot is extracted by an organic solvent such as toluene to obtain fullerene or heterofullerene. COPYRIGHT: (C)1993,JPO