Polymerized C60 clusters

Abstract

Clusters produced by co-evaporization of C60 and graphite in a low pressure inert gas condensation cell are characterized by photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The recorded mass spectra suggest that fullerene molecules can be linked by carbon atoms to form polymers C60(CC60)n−1. The dimer C121 is especially abundant, however we find evidence for polymers containing up to n=7 C60 molecules. Photo-fragmentation measurements of preselected clusters confirm the proposed multicage structure. At moderate fragmentation laser intensities the polymers are found to dissociate into the constituent monomers. At high laser intensities a second minor C2-loss dissociation channel can be observed, indicating the presence of large single cage fullerenes formed by coalescence of the C60 molecules.