Abstract
In this work, we show that keV-ions are able to remove single carbon atoms from individual fullerenes in clusters of C60 molecules. This very efficiently leads to the formation of exotic C+119 dumbbell molecules through secondary C+59 + C60 collisions within the fragmenting cluster. Such molecular fusion processes are inherently different from those induced by photons where only products with even numbers of carbon atoms are observed. Thus, ion collisions ignite unique and hitherto overlooked secondary reactions in small aggregates of matter. This relates to the question on how complex molecules may form in e.g. space.
Highlights
Fullerenes are hollow all-carbon molecules with the soccer-ball like C60 as the most famous family member [1]
Stay intact on the picosecond timescale. We demonstrate that these highly reactive fragments have time to react with neighboring intact C60 molecules, efficiently forming covalently bound dumbbell shaped C+119 molecules
A snapshot from one of these simulations is shown in Fig. 5, which shows that a covalently bound dumbbell C+119 system is rapidly formed on the picosecond timescale in a fragmenting [C60]13 cluster
Summary
Fullerenes are hollow all-carbon molecules with the soccer-ball like C60 as the most famous family member [1]. We demonstrate that these highly reactive fragments have time to react with neighboring intact C60 molecules, efficiently forming covalently bound dumbbell shaped C+119 molecules.
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