Positron annihilation in C60 fullerites and fullerene-like nanovoids

Abstract C 60 fullerites, fatty-acid triglycerides containing nanovoids, and triglycerides with dissolved fullerenes were studied by means of positron annihilation spectroscopy. Two types of nanovoids with mean radii of 0.48 and 0.34 nm were found in the fatty-acid triglycerides. The nanovoids of the latter type change size in the course of structural relaxation and ordering at room temperature. The nanovoid radius is stabilized at the value of 0.355 nm, equal to the radius of C 60 fullerenes, when the latter are dissolved in triglycerides. Tetrahedral interstitials in the f.c.c. lattice are shown to be the most probable positron-annihilation sites in C 60 fullerites. The shell of the C 60 molecule is a potential barrier for positron penetration to the interior of the fullerene. Vice versa, the nanovoid in triglycerides is a potential well for positively charged particles: positrons, protons and cations.