Solid C58 films.
A new solid material has been created in ultra high vacuum by utilizing the aggregation process of C58 molecules deposited onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite from a mass selected low-energy ion beam comprising C58+. Cluster fluxes of up to 3x10(11) ions s-1 cm-2 with impinging kinetic energies of 6+/-0.5 eV were typically applied. Growth of the solid C58 phase proceeds according to the cluster-aggregation-based Volmer-Weber scenario where initially ramified 2D islands transform into 3D pyramid-like structures at higher coverages. The C58 films created exhibit much higher thermal stability than the C60 solid phase. Sublimation of C58 sets in at a temperature of 700 K. Ultraviolet photoionization spectra (He I, 21.2 eV) yield a molecular ionization potential in the range between 6.6 and 7 eV. Density functional and Hartree-Fock theories suggest that the formation of C58 dimers and higher multimers upon deposition/aggregation gives rise to the high thermal stability and unique electronic properties of this material.
Böttcher
Artur
A
Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Karlsruhe TH, D-76128, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Weis
Patrick
P
Jester
Stefan-S
SS
Löffler
Daniel
D
Bihlmeier
Angela
A
Klopper
Wim
W
Kappes
Manfred M
MM
D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D019281:Dimerization; D004581:Electronics; D037741:Fullerenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013696:Temperature
D037741:Fullerenes; D006108:Graphite; C069837:fullerene C60