Raman study of the temperature-induced decomposition of the two-dimensional rhombohedral polymer of C60 and the intermediate states formed

Raman spectra of single crystalline two-dimensional rhombohedral (2D-R) polymer of C 60 were measured at ambient conditions after its high temperature treatment (HTT) in order to study the polymer decomposition process. The data obtained indicate that the 2D-R polymer remains stable after 0.5 h treatment up to ∼503 K, while at higher temperatures a material transformation takes place. New Raman lines appear in the Raman spectrum after HTT in the range of 513–553 K, related to the A g (2) pentagon pinch (PP) mode of 2D tetragonal-like (2D-T-like) and 1D orthorhombic-like (1D-O-like) oligomers as well as to C 60 dimers and monomers, typical for an intermediate state of partially decomposed 2D-R polymer. Above 553 K, the material changes completely and its new composition is dominated by C 60 monomers with some possible inclusion of C 60 dimers. The activation energy of the 2D-R polymer decomposition, obtained from the dependence of the decomposition time on the treatment temperature, is E A = 1.76 ± 0.07 eV/molecule.