POLYMERIZED C-60 CLUSTERS

Clusters produced by co-evaporization of C-60 and graphite in a low pr essure inert gas condensation cell are characterized by photoionizatio n time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The recorded mass spectra suggest that fullerene molecules can be linked by carbon atoms to form polymer s C-60(CC60)(n-1). The dimer C-121 is especially abundant, however we find evidence for polymers containing up to n=7 C-60 molecules. Photo- fragmentation measurements of preselected clusters confirm the propose d multicage structure. At moderate fragmentation laser intensities the polymers are found to dissociate into the constituent monomers. At hi gh laser intensities a second minor C-2-loss dissociation channel can be observed, indicating the presence of large single cage fullerenes f ormed by coalescence of the C-60 molecules. (C) 1997 American Institut e of Physics. [S0021-9606(97)02441-0].