Annealing c60+: synthesis of fullerenes and large carbon rings

Laser vaporization of graphite generates C(60)(+) cluster ions that are fullerenes and a mixture of roughly planar polycyclic polyyne ring isomers. Experimental studies of the annealing of the non-fullerene C(60)(+) ions indicate that they can be converted (in the gas phase) into the fullerene and an isomer that appears to be a large monocyclic ring. Some fragmentation is associated with conversion to the fullerene geometry, but the majority of the non-fullerene C(60)(+) isomers are cleanly converted into an intact fullerene. The emergence of the monocyclic ring (as the clusters are annealed) suggests that this is a relatively stable non-spheroidal form of these all carbon molecules. The estimated activation energies for the observed structural interconversions are relatively low, suggesting that these processes may play an important role in the synthesis of spheroidal fullerenes.