Characterization of Ozonated C60 and C70 by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Low- and High-Energy Collision-induced Dissociation Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

The formation of C60 and C70 oxides by reaction with ozone has been examined using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry including liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry, collision-induced dissociation (CID) and tandem mass spectrometry. C60 and C70 oxides containing up to four oxygen atoms could be detected and were found to be chemically unstable. The mass spectral results show that low-energy CID of molecular anions of the higher C60 and C70 oxides results in the loss of one CO molecule, whereas molecular cations eliminate two molecules of CO. In both ion modes the formation of odd-numbered fullerenes was noticed. In contrast, high-energy CID results in the loss of O and O2, followed by sequential C2 losses. For some product ions the formation of fullerene–helium adduct ions was observed.