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Search for fullerenes in lunar fines 10084 and 79261
Author(s) -
Heymann D.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1996.tb02073.x
Subject(s) - fullerene , astrobiology , apollo , toluene , materials science , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , zoology , biology
Radicati di Brozolo et al . (1994) found the fullerenes C 60 and C 70 in and around a micrometeorite impact pit on the skin of the LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility) spacecraft and concluded that the fullerenes had formed from C of the micrometeorite. Becker et al . (1994) concluded that C 60 and C 70 in C‐bearing rocks from the large Sudbury impact structure had come mostly from C of the impacting bolide. These observations suggested that fullerenes had formed by analogous impacts on the Moon. One sample from the Apollo 11 site and one from the Apollo 17 site were treated with toluene for the extraction of C 60 and C 70 . The extracts were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for the presence of C 60 and C 70 fullerenes. No fullerenes were detected. Either the formation of fullerenes from extra lunar C on the Moon had very low yields, or fullerenes were formed with detectable yields but were quantitatively removed from the surface of the Moon in a short time.