IONIZATION-POTENTIALS OF SMALL CARBON CLUSTERS

Ionization potentials (IP's) of small carbon clusters (C(n), n = 3-6) have been bracketed with an uncertainty of a few tenths of an eV by ch arge-transfer methods in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance m ass spectrometer. Values obtained are compared to previously determine d experimental and theoretical values. Several interesting reactions o ther than charge-transfer were observed between the carbon cluster ion s and the charge-transfer reference compounds. The products of these r eactions are reported and discussed.