Communication: fullerene resolution by the magnetic circular dichroism.

The similarity in shape makes separation and identification of fullerenes difficult. In this work, the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy is presented as a useful tool for this purpose. Experimental C60 and C70 spectra were obtained and reproduced with the aid of density functional computations and the complex polarization propagator method. Theoretical spectra of other fullerenes revealed distinctive patterns extremely sensitive to molecular structure as well. Requiring tiny amounts of the sample, the MCD technique thus appears as a useful for detailed fullerene studies.