SUBLIMATION OF PURE C-60 FULLERENE AND OF C-60 ADSORBED ON MGO OR GRAPHITE POWDERS

The sublimation of pure C-60 and the thermal desorption of C-60 fuller ene deposited on MgO and graphite samples have been analyzed by mass s pectrometry. The experiments have been performed in the Desorption Ele ctron Impact mode (DEI) using a heating current between 40 and 1200 mA . The desorption from a substrate as well as the C-60 sublimation is a first order process with an activation energy of about 200 kJ mole(-1 ). This value confirms the computational results obtained for van der Waals interaction, The peak broadening in the case of C-60/graphite ca n be explained by a strong interaction between C-60 and the graphite s ubstrate which is also predicted theoretically.