Fullerene productivity was investigated in the carbon arc discharge method when air was deliberately introduced into He-filled arc apparatus. Values of fullerene yield and production rate did not vary until the air leakage rate, denned as an increase in the ratio of air partial pressure relative to He pressure, was 0.2%/min. Fullerene productivity drastically decreased when the air leakage rate increased above 0.2%/min. Emission spectroscopic measurement of the arc plasma suggested the possibility that this decrease in productivity was related to an increase in the formation of carbon-air combined molecular species,e.g., CN, in the plasma.
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