Single-crystal structural study of the pressure-temperature-induced dimerization of C<Subscript>60</Subscript>

We present a study by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction/diffuse scattering of C₆₀ single-crystals treated at high-pressure and high-temperature. This allowed us to obtain structural information on the C₆₀ dimer state which can be considered as an intermediate state in the polymerization process. In the 1-6 GPa pressure range the crystals are primarily formed of dimers with additional minor fractions of monomers, 1D and 2D polymers, as shown by the analysis of the Raman spectra. The dimers are disordered within an average cubic lattice derived from that of the monomer. Single-crystal diffraction patterns reveal a characteristic diffuse scattering intensity distribution which has been simulated by calculating the diffuse scattering produced by dimer and trimer model structures. Satisfactory agreement is obtained for random positional and orientational disorder of the C₆₀-C₆₀ dimers although a small concentration of similarly disordered trimers is likely. In a first approximation the dimer/trimer disorder can be considered as random but various inter-dimer correlations are probably present, as discussed.Received: 3 October 2003, Published online: 19 February 2004PACS: 61.48. + c Fullerenes and fullerene-related materials - 61.43.Bn Structural modeling: serial-addition models, computer simulation - 78.30.Na Fullerenes and related materialsT. Wågberg: Present address: Groupe de Dynamique des Phases Condensées, Université Montpellier II, Place E. Bataillon, CC026, 34095 Montpellier, France     

Polyhedral carbon nanoparticles at high pressures

The solid-phase transformations of polyhedral nanoparticles at a pressure of 8.0 GPa and various temperatures have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. It has been found that the graphene layers of the inner cavities of polyhedral particles are transformed into onion-like structures at temperatures above ～1000°C. This transformation gives rise to the formation of hybrid-type sp2 carbon nanoparticles, which combine the outer polyhedral shape with the quasispherical onion-like core. Polyhedral nanoparticles smaller than ～40 nm are completely transformed into onion-like particles at 1600°C.     

Electrical transport and magnetic ordering in R 2Ti3Ge4 (R=Dy, Ho and Er) compounds

New R ₂Ti₃Ge₄ (R=Dy, Ho and Er) intermetallic compounds have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and low temperature ac magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements were carried out. The compounds crystallize in the parent, Sm₅Ge₄-type orthorhombic structure (space group Pnma) and lanthanide contraction is observed as one moves along the rare-earth series. The changeover from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase happens at low temperatures and the ordering temperature scales with the de Gennes factor. The electrical resistivity is metallic with a negative curvature above 100 K. Thermopower displays a weak maximum at temperatures less than 50 K signifying the possible phonon and magnon drag effects.     

Influence of high pressure on the ferromagnetic transition temperature of CrO2

The shift of the Curie temperature of CrO₂ with pressure was determined by ac-susceptibility measurements under hydrostatic pressure up to 5 GPa. These experiments show that ferromagnetism of CrO₂ is suppressed at a rate , which is close to recent theoretical estimates.     

Threshold theorems for a stochastic model of an epidemic with natural immunization

A stochastic model of an epidemic is investigated, taking account of the removal of ill members of the population (by death, by recovery with immunization, by isolation) and natural immunization. Limiting distributions are found for the size of the epidemic, the number immunized ₁, and their sum, under the assumption that the original number of susceptible individuals n and the number of ill individuals m , while n 1,n ₀< , where and are the coefficients for the contraction of the disease and of immunization respectively.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 385–392, September, 1970.     

Effect of pressure on the Raman spectra of synthetic diamonds with boron impurity

The raman scattering technique is used for studying diamonds with a 0.04–0.1 at % boron impurity under a pressure up to 3 GPa in a chamber with sapphire anvils. The Raman frequency increases linearly with pressure for all samples with pressure coefficients of 2.947 cm^?1/GPa for pure diamond and 3.01 cm^?1/GPa for boron-doped samples. The Raman linewidths remain unchanged for pure diamond and for diamond with a boron concentration of about 0.04 at % and decrease linearly upon an increase in pressure for samples with a boron concentration of about 0.1 at %. The Raman spectra with a line profile corresponding to the Fano resonance do not change qualitatively up to a pressure of 3 GPa. In diamond samples with a boron impurity exceeding 0.1 at %, the boron concentration in the surface layer can be substantially higher than at the center of the sample.     

Pressure-induced dimerization kinetics of fullerene C60

Dimerization kinetics was studied for fullerene C₆₀ by IR spectroscopy at a pressure of 1.5 GPa in the temperature range 373–473 K. The kinetic curves for the formation of a dimer (C₆₀)₂ were obtained using its analytical IR band at 796 cm^?1. Under the assumption that pressure-induced C₆₀ dimerization is a second-order irreversible reaction, the reaction rate constants were determined at different temperatures. The corresponding activation energy and preexponential factor were found to be 134±6 kJ/mol and (1.74± 0.24)×10¹⁴ s^?1, respectively. The specific features of the solid-phase C₆₀ dimerization in simple cubic and face-centered cubic fullerite phases are discussed.     

Elastic properties of the Ta–V system: bcc Ta0.33V0.67 and C15 TaV2

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy was used to measure the elastic constants of bcc Ta_0.33V_0.67 over the temperature range 3.5–300?K; the results were compared to earlier measurements on C15 TaV₂. The temperature dependence of the polycrystalline shear modulus is completely different in the two phases; that of the bcc phase decreases with temperature whereas that of the C15 phases increases in an anomalous fashion. This difference is consistent with a model involving doubly-degenerate levels at the X point of the Brillouin zone in the C15 phase with the Fermi level lying near the doubly degenerate level. This model accounted for the unusual behaviour of the C15 phase. Debye temperatures were determined from the ultrasonic measurements: 295?K for the C15 phase and 315?K for the bcc phase.     

Identification of the polymerized orthorhombic phase of C60 fullerene

It is established by x-ray diffraction and Raman scattering that the polymerization of C₆₀ fullerene at 1.5 GPa and 723 K leads to the formation of an orthorhombic phase that is different from the previously identified high-pressure orthorhombic phase. It is determined by a calculation of the optimal packing of linear C₆₀ polymers by the method of atom-atom potentials that the energetically favorable structure of the orthorhombic phase belongs to the space group P n n m and not the previously proposed group I m m m. The computed value of the rotation angle of the polymer chains that corresponds to the minimum packing energy was equal to 61°. The mechanisms leading to the formation of the polymerized phases are discussed on the basis of the results obtained. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 2, 110–114 (25 July 1997)     

Polyhedral carbon nanoparticles at high pressures

JETP Letters - The solid-phase transformations of polyhedral nanoparticles at a pressure of 8.0 GPa and various temperatures have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray...