Perturbed Angular Correlation Study of the Static and Dynamic Aspects of Cadmium and Mercury Atoms Inside and Attached to a C60 Fullerene Cage

Abstract

Abstract 30 keV 111mCd and 50 keV 199mHg beams from ISOLDE were used to implant on preformed targets of C60 with a thickness of 1 mg cm-2. Endofullerene compounds, viz. 111mCd@C60 and 199mHg@C60 formed during implantation were separated by filtration through micropore filter paper followed by solvent extraction. Dried samples of the endofullerene compounds were counted for the time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) measurement using the coincidence of the 151 - 245 keV cascade of 111mCd and the 374 - 158 keV cascade of 199mHg on a six LaBr3(Ce) detector system coupled with digital electronics. The results for 111mCd@C60 indicate a single static component (27%) and a fast relaxing component (73%), the latter implying that the cadmium atom moves rapidly inside the cage at room temperature. The quadrupole interaction frequency and asymmetry parameter of the cadmium atom occupying the static site in C60 are wQ=8.21(36) Mrad s-1 and η = 0.41(9), respectively. The fast relaxation constant is 0.0031(4) ns-1. Similarly, mercury atoms also exhibit a single static and a fast component. The static site has a quadrupole frequency wQ=283.0(12.4) Mrad s-1 and η =0 with a fraction of 30%. The fast relaxation constant is 0.045(8) ns-1 with a fraction of 70%, very similar to that of cadmium.