Effective polymerization of C 60 in SWNTs under high pressure and simultaneous UV light irradiation

The C 60 @SWNT (peapod) samples were prepared by the vapor diffusion method. Polymerization of C 60 molecules in single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) under high pressure and simultaneous irradiation of UV laser (325 nm) has been carried out for the first time by using diamond anvil cell. Raman spectra of the peapod samples decompressed from high pressure indicated that C 60 molecules form one-dimensional orthorhombic polymer in SWNTs under UV laser irradiation at a high pressure of 21.5GPa, which is lower than that for the polymerization of samples induced by high pressure only. The polymerization is an irreversible phase transition in the peapod.