First and Second Ionization Potentials, Reactions, and Surface Collisions of C60 and Related Clusters

Abstract

The physical and chemical properties of large carbon clusters, Cn(n>40), have been studied extensively over the past six years. The spherical nature of these clusters has been debated and inferred from both experimental and theoretical studies until the recent isolation and subsequent spectroscopic identification of bulk C60 and C70. Although the n=60 and 70 cluster ions are anomalously abundant (“magic numbers”) in the mass spectra and are proposed to be highly symmetric species, the other “magic number” clusters have yet to be isolated.