Thermal-lens spectrometer for studying thermophysical properties of fullerenes

Abstract

A thermal-lens spectrometer implementing back-synchronized detection technique with a mode-mismatched optical scheme was constructed. Steady-state and transient signals of thermal-lens spectrometry are used to characterize concentration parameters of aqueous fullerene dispersions (AFDs) at the level of 10⁻⁷ – 10⁻⁵ M and to assess thermophysical properties of AFDs. The detection limits of fullerenes in AFDs are 100 nM for C₆₀, 80 nM for C₇₀ and C₇₈ – C₈₈, and 60 nM for Y@C₈₂, which are 20-fold lower than for spectrophotometry. Suitable precision of measurements of thermal diffusivity and thermal effusivity for AFDs is shown.