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Effects of pressure and ambient species on the orientational ordering in solid C[sub 60]

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)
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  1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

The effects of hydrostatic pressure on the orientational ordering transition in solid C[sub 60] were investigated using helium, nitrogen, and a 50/50 (by volume) mixture of normal and isopentanes as pressure-transmitting media. The different observed responses in these media and for different samples, as well as some irreversible pressure cycling effects, have provided much insight into the ordering process. Highlights of the work include the following: (1) Lattice compression hinders the librational motion of the C[sub 60] molecules in the low-temperature simple cubic (sc) phase, thereby increasing [ital T][sub [ital c]] and stabilizing the sc phase; the effect is large; (2) the pressure dependence of [ital T][sub [ital c]], along with the accurately known volume change at the transition, yield 1.7 kcal/mole and 6.5 cal/K mole for the latent heat and discontinuous change in entropy, respectively, associated with the transition; (3) [ital T][sub [ital c]] and its pressure dependence are influenced by the presence of ambient species in the interstitial lattice sites. Helium appears to diffuse readily into the lattice, whereas N[sub 2] (and O[sub 2]) diffuse less rapidly and occupy octahedral sites; (4) a two-peak structure in differential thermal analysis spectra (also reported in specific-heat measurements) was observed and is believed to be due to the partial occupation of the octahedral sites by species such as N[sub 2] or O[sub 2]; (5) solid C[sub 60] reacts'' with pentane at pressures [ge] 14 kbar and temperatures [gt]475 K to yield an irreversible C[sub 60]/pentane complex similar to that obtained by the cocrystallization of C[sub 60] and normal pentane at 1 bar. These results are discussed in terms of proposed models.

DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6925547
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 47:8; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English