Oxygenated polymeric fullerene films synthesized in argon plasma show strong photoluminescence in near-infrared and visible region (1.50–2.36 eV) at room temperature excited by a 514.5 nm argon ion laser. After being annealed at different high temperatures, photoluminescence decreased in intensity. The generation and decrease of the photoluminescence were explained in terms of the change of the fullerene C60symmetry. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.