THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF POLYMERIC C-60

Raman scattering is used to study the thermal decomposition of photoch emically produced polymeric C-60 films. Under the experimental conditi ons, a steady state monomer population is maintained through a competi tion between: (a) the photoattachment of monomers to other monomers an d higher oligomers (e.g. dimers, trimers) driven by the Raman laser an d (b) the thermal scission of the intermolecular C-C bonds. The rate f or thermal dissociation of these bonds is found to follow an Arrhenius -type behavior with an activation energy E(a)=1.25 eV.