Tagging fullerene ions with helium in a cryogenic quadrupole trap

Helium tagging of charged C60q+ ions (q = 1–3) has been used for measuring electronic and infrared gas phase spectra, allowing astronomers to improve the identification of fullerenes in space. Here, we present a detailed study of the attachment of He to cold mass selected fullerene ions. Experiments were performed in the temperature variable radio frequency (rf) ion trap ISORI at high He densities and a few K. For all three charge states, the ternary rate coefficients for forming He-C60q+ are below 10−31 cm6s–1 and all three show temperature dependences, proportional to exp(-T/T0) with T0.