ULTRAVIOLET PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY ON THE LINEAR CONFORMER OF NEGATIVELY CHARGED CARBON CLUSTERS C-N(-) -LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-N-LESS-THAN-OR-EQUAL-TO-16)

A photoelectron spectroscopy technique was successfully applied to the detection and characterization of a linear conformer of negatively-ch arged carbon clusters from C-10(-) to C-16(-). By controlling the lase r fluence for vaporization it was found that the fraction of a linear conformer was enriched. The presence of the linear form up to C-16(-) was confirmed by the photoelectron spectroscopic evidences. On the bas is of the present observations, it was also found that the observed ve rtical electron affinity up to C-16 shows a distinct even-odd alternat ion, converging into the asymptotic value of ca. 5.0 eV. (C) 1998 Else vier Science B.V.