Mass Spectrometric Transmutation of Fullerenes

Abstract

MS/MS studies of the higher fullerenes C _n ⁺ (n = 60, 70, all even from 76-94) revealed that certain product ions were especially stable, and that these matched closely to the fullerenes that are particularly abundant in synthetic mixtures. All fullerenes fragmented by loss of C₂ molecules.

Keywords:

• Mass spectrometry
• laser desorption
• fragmentation
• fullerenes

Acknowledgments

JSM thanks the Royal Society of Chemistry for a Journals Grant for International Authors. WH thanks the University of Waikato for materials and instrumentation.