Fracture surface and correlation of buckling force with aspect ratio of C60 crystalline whiskers

The structure and mechanical properties of crystalline whiskers with an average diameter of 600 nm, composed of C60 molecules were studied by transmission electron microscopy combined with nanonewton force measurements used in atomic force microscopy. C60 nanowhiskers with a body-centered tetragonal structure are compressed along their long axis. Young's modulus of the C60 nanowhiskers was estimated to be 28 ± 5 GPa. The buckling stress was correlated to the aspect ratio of length to diameter of the C60 nanowhiskers. The (100) surface was the principal fracture surface of the C60 nanowhiskers.