Raman spectra of single-crystal C60

We have analysed the Raman spectra of C₆₀ single crystals between room temperature and 10K and studied the temperature-induced phase transition in this material. The spectra show crystal field splitting of the internal Raman modes but no evidence for a line shift near the phase transition. The photo-induced transformation of the crystals and its implication on the interpretation of the Raman spectra is discussed. In the low temperature phase we observed two lines at 30 cm^–1 and 41 cm^–1 which we assign to the librational modes of the crystal.     

Elastic moduli of single-crystal C60

The matrix of elastic constants of the fcc phase of solid C₆₀ has been determined experimentally from measurements of the the velocity of 5 MHz ultrasound in single-crystal samples with different crystallographic orientations. The following values were obtained for the elastic moduli: C ₁₁=14.9±0.9 GPa, C ₁₂=8.8±1.0 GPa, and C ₄₄=6.6±0.18 GPa. The results are compared with theoretical estimates of the elastic moduli and data obtained in previous measurements of the elastic characteristics of solid C₆₀. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 173–175 (January 1998)     

High-temperature conductivity study on single-crystal C60

We report about dc, ac (100Hzv100kHz) and contactless microwave (10 GHz) conductivity studies on C₆₀ crystalline bulk material from room temperature to 850 K. The high temperature regime is governed by an activated behavior with a frequency and sample independent activation energy of about 0.9 eV. The low temperature regime exhibits a frequency dependent and weakly temperature dependent conductivity due to extrinsic properties.Anomalies in the heating curves of virgin samples (dynamical vacuum conditions) in the temperature ranges 560 K and 740 K are ascribed to the desorption of oxygen.     

Wetting-to-nonwetting transition in metal-coated C60

Based on ab initio and density-functional theory calculations, an empirical potential is proposed to model the interaction between a fullerene molecule and many sodium atoms. This model predicts homogeneous coverage of C60 below eight Na atoms and a progressive droplet formation above this size. The effects of ionization, temperature, and external electric field indicate that the various, and apparently contradictory, experimental results can indeed be put into agreement.     

Laser-induced nonthermal fragmentation of C60 studied by semiclassical dynamics simulation

Photofragmentation of the C₆₀ fullerene induced by ultrafast laser pulses is studied by semiclassical dynamics simulation. The simulation study is focused on the excitation below the continuum levels. A laser pulse of 40 fs (FWHM) with an effective photon energy of 2.0 eV and different intensities was selected to interact with the C₆₀ fullerene. The simulation results show that averaged fragmentation size distribution over groups of initial geometries selected at random exhibits a power law pattern with the peak at C₂ at high laser pulse intensities. The threshold for the C₆₀ fragmentation was determined. The simulation finds that as many as 55 electrons are excited from the occupied molecular orbitals to unoccupied molecular orbitals upon the laser irradiation and that the number of the fragments significantly depends on the number of electrons excited. Finally, the temperature examination seems to suggest that the nonthermal effect may play a significant role in laser fragmentation of the C₆₀ fullerene.     

Properties of the microhardness of single-crystal C60 fullerite in sclerometric tests

The mechanical properties of single-crystal fcc C₆₀ fullerite are investigated by sclerometry and precision contact profilometry. Quantitative estimates are obtained for the microhardness anisotropy on the (100) and (111) planes. Polarity of the mechanical properties is observed in the (111) plane. The mechanisms considered for the orientational deformation of C₆₀ single crystals by a moving indentor confirm existing data showing that plastic deformation in solid C₆₀ occurs along the [011] (111) systems. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1119–1123 (June 1999)     

Atomic force microscopy of C60/C70 single-crystal fullerenes under ethanol

C₆₀/C₇₀ crystal surfaces were imaged by atomic force microscopy under ethanol with resolution of single molecules. Spherical and elongated elliptical fullerenes can be distinguished corresponding most likely with C₆₀, respectively C₇₀. Determination of the maximum diameter for a large number of molecules confirms the presence of two species of fullerenes, one with 9.4 Å, the other with 11.2 Å. The measured ratio C₆₀:C₇₀ is 81:19 which resembles the spectroscopical data. The molecules are arranged either in hexagonal (hcp) or cubic (fcc) packing, in some areas the two arrangements alternate within a few nm. Elongated fullerenes apparently prefer the hexagonal packing.     

C60 adsorption on Cu(110) studied by optical spectroscopy

The formation of the interface between C₆₀ thin films and the Cu(110) surface has been investigated in situ using reflectance difference spectroscopy (RDS). The electronic interaction between C₆₀ molecules in the first monolayer and the substrate inhibits low‐energy intramolecular transitions, whereas the C₆₀ molecules above the first monolayer are effectively decoupled from the substrate. The morphology of C₆₀ thin films prepared at room temperature is thermally stable up to 500 K. Above this threshold, optical spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) indicate the formation of rather large three dimensional C₆₀ islands on a one monolayer thick wetting layer. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Radiation damage in single-crystal ice studied by 100 keV proton channeling

A detailed study has been undertaken of the Ni{100} (2 × 2)C structure formed by cracking ethylene on a clean Ni{100} surface. The LEED pattern shows characteristic missing spots which can be attributed to the presence of glide lines and indicate a space group symmetry of p4g. We show that this can be readily interpreted in terms of a distortion of the top nickel layer both parallel and perpendicular to the surface, which accompanies the carbon adsorption. Detailed comparisons of LEED intensity data with dynamical calculations indicate that the top layer nickel atoms are displaced 0.35 ± 0.05 Å parallel to the surface, 0.20 ± 0.05 Å outwards from the surface, and that the carbon atoms are in 4-fold hollows (now distorted) at a spacing of 0.1 ± 0.1 Å from the surface. These conclusions lead to a nickel-carbon nearest neighbour spacing of 1.803 ± 0.015 Å.