Magic and hot giant fullerenes formed inside ion irradiated weakly bound C(60) clusters

J Chem Phys. 2010 Sep 14;133(10):104301. doi: 10.1063/1.3479584.

Abstract

We find that the most stable fullerene isomers, C(70)-C(94), form efficiently in close-to central collisions between keV atomic ions and weakly bound clusters of more than 15 C(60)-molecules. We observe extraordinarily high yields of C(70) and marked preferences for C(78) and C(84). Larger even-size carbon molecules, C(96)-C(180), follow a smooth log-normal (statistical) intensity distribution. Measurements of kinetic energies indicate that C(70)-C(94) mainly are formed by coalescence reactions between small carbon molecules and C(60), while C(n) with n≥96 are due to self-assembly (of small molecules) and shrinking hot giant fullerenes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fullerenes / chemistry*
  • Ions / chemistry
  • Kinetics
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Fullerenes
  • Ions