Cyano adduct anions of higher fullerenes: electrospray mass spectrometric studies

Abstract

Negative-ion electrospray mass spectrometry of fullerene/CN − solutions was used to study the cyano adduct-anions of a mixture of higher fullerenes, revealing both monoanionic and dianionic species. The most abundant anions observed are C m (CN) − and C m (CN) 2 2− for the higher fullerenes m = 76, 78, 84, 86, 90, 92, 96, and 98, which show some variation with the behaviour of C 60 and C 70. In addition, some of the higher fullerenes exhibit reduced forms under the conditions of these measurements. In particular, C 84 −, C 86 −, and C 90 − are observed, as well as the dianions C 84 2−, C 86 2−, and C 90 2−.