ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors focus on the synthesis and physical properties of fullerene nanowhiskers that they have succeeded in making superconducting by doping alkali metals. They attempt to dope alkali metals into the C60nanowhisker (NW) for future application to superconducting light fibers. The discovery of superconductivity in alkali-metal-doped C60 was followed by intensive research from 1991 to the beginning of the 2000s on its various superconducting properties. Conventional superconducting wires are usually produced using a metallurgical process of wire drawing. A fullerene NW (C60NW) is an elongated acicular crystal composed of fullerene molecules. Various shapes of C60, such as nanowhiskers, nanosheets and tube shapes with cavities, have been developed using a liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation method. The authors investigate sheath materials to close up K-doped superconducting C60NWs. An alkali-metal doped C60NW reacts easily with moisture in the air, so it is necessary to apply coating it for avoiding degradation.
