Recoil tritium–C60 interaction: a channel for endohedral encapsulation of tritium in C60

Abstract The introduction of tritium (T), with an initial kinetic energy of 2.7 MeV into the cavity of C 60 using recoil implantation is studied in a 6 Li(n,α)T activated homogenized compound matrix of Li 2 CO 3 and C 60. Radioactive endohedral T@C 60 could be detected through the liquid scintillation spectrometry coupled with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry provided evidence for the retainment of C 60 cage as against radiation damage. Solid state temperature-programmed desorption based on evolved gas showed the desorption of 3 He gas (as a β − decay product from T) from the endohedral C 60 cage at a higher temperature than the T 2 and T 2 O trapped species at the defect sites and from the ordered crystallographic network of Li 2 CO 3 , respectively. The non-isothermal kinetics of the helium desorption, as a function of temperature evidenced a diffusion controlled process.