Coating and polymerization of C60 with carbon:: A gas phase photodissociation study

(C-60)(n)C-q(+) cationic clusters are produced in a laser vaporization source by quenching the vapors from C-60 and graphite targets. They are analyzed in the gas phase by abundance and photofragmentation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. Among the large number of expected isomers, the present experiments give evidence for the stability of special arrangements that may result from the attachment of preformed carbon rings to the fullerene cage. The particular case of C-10 will be discussed, considering the results obtained on complexes with one, two or even three C-60 molecules. This study reveals that the incorporation of large molecules into carbon cages could be an essential mechanism during the growth process of larger fullerenes and that the polymerization of C-60 molecules is promoted by carbon links involving a single atom or a dimer. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.