Synthesis of Microcrystals from Frozen Acetone Irradiated by a Femtosecond Laser

We synthesized microcrystals from frozen acetone irradiated by a 130-fs, 790-nm ultrashort pulse laser. They were shaped into an elongated hexagonal pillar form. The measurements of X-ray diffraction peaks supported the fact that crystals were formed, and one of the observed peaks matched the d-value of one of the carbyne allotropes (C IX). The density of 2.58±0.04 g/cm3 was close to that of α-carbyne. In addition, the microcrystals were stable in acetone solution.