Incorporating C2 into C60 films

The material formed by depositing C(2)(-) anions onto/into thin C(60) films (on graphite) at room temperature has been studied by means of thermal desorption mass spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoionization spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. As-prepared, C(2)/C(60) films manifest thermal desorption behaviour which differs significantly from pure C(60) films. Whereas the latter can be fully sublimed, we observe decomposition of C(2)/C(60) films to a high-temperature-stable material while predominantly C(60), C(62), and C(64) are desorbed in parallel. Deposition of C(2)(-) also leads to significantly modified electronic and vibrational properties. Based on DFT model calculations of the Raman spectra, we suggest that as-prepared C(2)/C(60) films contain appreciable amounts of polymeric networks comprising -C(2)-C(60)-C(2)-C(60)- chains. Detection of sublimed C(62) and C(64) upon heating implies that thermal decomposition of C(2)/C(60) films involves addition/uptake of C(2) units into individual fullerene cages. Correspondingly, annealing films up to various intermediate temperatures results in significant modifications to valence-band UP spectra as well as to surface topographies as imaged by AFM. The novel carbonaceous material obtained by heating to T > 950 K has a finite density of states at the Fermi level in contrast to as-prepared C(2)/C(60). It comprises fused fullerene cages.