Vibrational spectra of hydrogenated buckminsterfullerene: A candidate for the unidentified infrared emission

A mixture of hydrides of buckminsterfullerene made by the interaction of at omic hydrogen with C-60 is investigated using high-resolution electron ener gy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) in ultrahigh vacuum. The energy-loss spectra of partially hydrogenated C-60 multilayers reveal vibrational features prev iously observed in infrared emission from interstellar and circumstellar du st clouds, including a broad loss envelope between 1150 and 1310 cm(-1), fo llowed by a band at 1620 cm(-1) in remarkable agreement with the canonical interstellar spacing of 300 cm(-1). Additionally, a major C-H stretching ba nd near 2900 cm(-1) is observed and compared with the Galactic center absor ption spectrum.