Pressure-Induced Dimerization Kinetics of Fullerene C[sub 60].

Dimerization kinetics was studied for fullerene C[sub 60] by IR spectroscopy at a pressure of 1.5 GPa in the temperature range 373–473 K. The kinetic curves for the formation of a dimer (C[sub 60])[sub 2] were obtained using its analytical IR band at 796cm[sup – 1]. Under the assumption that pressure-induced C[sub 60] dimerization is a second-order irreversible reaction, the reaction rate constants were determined at different temperatures. The corresponding activation energy and preexponential factor were found to be 134±6 kJ/mol and (1.74±0.24) ×10[sup 14]s[sup –1], respectively. The specific features of the solid-phase C[sub 60] dimerization in simple cubic and face-centered cubic fullerite phases are discussed. © 2000 MAIK “Nauka / Interperiodica”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]