Gentle fragmentation of C 60 by strong hydrogenation: a route to synthesizing new materials

• Published in: Chemical physics letters Vol. 400; no. 1; pp. 112 - 116
• Main Authors: Talyzin, A.V., Sundqvist, B., Shulga, Y.M., Peera, A.A., Imus, P., Billups, W.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 11-12-2004
• ISSN: 0009-2614; 1873-4448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2004.10.087

A large number of small hydrogenated fullerenes and unusual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected by mass-spectrometry in samples obtained by C
60 reaction with hydrogen gas at 673 K. A synthesis of a large number of sequential breakdown products instead of fast formation of amorphous carbon was found due to immediate termination of dangling bonds by hydrogen atoms during the C
60 fragmentation process. This opens a possibility to synthesize these unusual materials in bulk amounts. Investigation of breakdown products could also help to select building blocks for synthesis of cage structures by purely chemical methods.