The fragmentation of negative ions of fullerene C60 trifluoromethyl derivatives

Abstract

The formation and decay of gas-phase negative ions of trifluoromethylated fullerenes C60(CF3)n(n = 2–10) were studied. The resonance electron capture mass spectra were measured to find that the main fragmentation channel of negative ions was the detachment of trifluoromethyl groups. The degree of fragmentation directly depended on the energy of electrons and reached the complete splitting off of all the CF3 addends with the formation of C60− ions. The observed metastable ion signals were analyzed to determine the scheme of sequential fragmentation of negative ions.