Observation of "stick" and "handle" intermediates along the fullerene road

The hypothesis that fullerenes grow in a carbon plasma by the addition of C -2 units (the "fullerene road") has been widely acclaimed as the most plaus ible mechanism for formation of larger fullerenes including C-60 and C-70 C alculations suggest that the association of C2 With fullerenes proceeds thr ough two classes of intermediates, "sticks" and "handles." Here we report t he observation of these species using high-resolution ion-mobility measurem ents for C-n cations generated by laser vaporization of graphite and laser desorption of C-60 Sticks With UP to eight-atom chains have also been found .