Fullerenes in the 1. 85-billion-year-old Sudbury impact structure

Fullerenes (C[sub 60] and C[sub 70]) have been identified by laser desorption, laser desorption post-ionization, and high-resolution electron-impact mass spectroscopy in shock produced breccias (Onaping Formation) of the Sudbury impact structure in Ontario, Canada. The C[sub 60] isotope is present at a level of a few parts per million. The fullerenes were likely synthesized within the impact plume from the carbon contained in the bolide. The oxidation of the fullerenes during the 1.85 billion years of exposure was apparently prevented by the presence of sulfur in the form of sulfide-silicate complexes associated with the fullerene.