Internal friction and elastic properties of the high pressure-induced phases of solid C-60

Solid C-60 is a new promising material made from giant high-symmetric carbo n clusters. Though C-60 molecules are extremely stable at ambient condition s, heat treatment under high pressures induces transformations to other pha ses, in which some weak van der Waal-type bonding between C-60 molecules is replaced with covalent sp(3) bonds. Many new C-60 high pressure phases (HP ) demonstrate a set of unique physical properties including mechanical and elastic ones. This paper is an analytic review of the experimental measurem ents of the elastic and dissipative properties of solid C-60 (from C-60 sin gle crystal to C-60 ultrahard phase). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All ri ghts reserved.