Aggregation of [70]fullerene in presence of acetonitrile: a chemical kinetic experiment

70]fullerene solutions in carbon tetrachloride and o-xylene exhibit a noteworthy spectral variation with time when acetonitrile is added. This has been ascribed to self-aggregation of 70]fullerene caused by the repulsion between polar acetonitrile and hydrophobic 70]fullerene, and the aggregation numbers have been determined from a kinetic scheme and also from a scanning electron microscopic study. The numbers thus obtained follow a cuboctahedral stacking pattern proposed recently and also agree with the magic formula n=55+3m (m=1 to 14) proposed by Branz et al. for 60]fullerene clusters Phys. Rev. B. 66, 094107 (2002)].