DuPont和SRI的科学家们最近得到了碳家族的另一个新成员——“海胆”。他们用含有三氧化二钆或纯钆的石墨棒做阳极,纯石墨棒做阴极,利用电弧法在氦气下反应得到碳灰,在乙醇中超声分散后得到一种混合物。利用透射电镜(TEM),他们发现这种混合物有两种形态:一是无定形的Gd_XC_Y核,从整个表面辐射碳纳米管(Carbon nanotube);另一种是GdC_2单晶核,碳纳米管从一些区域发射,另一些区域覆盖不完整的多面体壳。由于在TEM下,这些混合物的形状酷似海胆,因而得名。有关的分离纯化工作还在进一步研究之中。 Scientists at DuPont and SRI recently got another new member of the carbon family - the Sea Urchin. They use an anode made of a graphite rod containing gadolinium oxide or gadolinium, a pure graphite rod as a cathode, an arc method of reacting under helium to give a carbon soot and ultrasonically dispersing in ethanol to give a mixture. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), they found that the mixture has two morphologies: one is an amorphous Gd_XC_Y core that radiates carbon nanotubes from the entire surface; the other is a GdC_2 single crystal core from which carbon nanotubes Some areas launch, others cover incomplete polyhedron shells. Because of the TEM under the shape of these compounds resemble sea urchins, hence the name. The relevant separation and purification work is still under further study.