EPR evidence of the low temperature phase transition in C60

Abstract

A standard EPR technique has been applied to perform temperature studies of polycrystalline samples of C60 fullerene. A comparison of the three main parameters of EPR spectra obtained for a C60 sample before and after (solvent free) purification has been made in temperatures from 4 to 300 K. When compared to the spectrum of the as-obtained (crude) sample the spectrum of the purified sample revealed considerable changes i.e. an increase in the EPR signal intensity and evidence of a phase transition at about 90 K. This transition is proved to be related to the two processes: freezing of the orientational motion of C60 molecules and redistribution of the positive and negative charge observed as paramagnetic centres localized on C60 molecules.