Identification of large fullerenes formed during the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes in the HiPco process

A small fraction of high-molecular-weight closed shell carbon clusters are formed along with the single-walled carbon nanotubes during the catalytic, high-pressure decomposition of carbon monoxide. The fullerenic clusters and can be desorbed by laser irradiation thus providing for a quantitative estimation by LDI-TOF mass spectrometry with appropriate markers.