Observation of the Doubly Charged, Gas Phase Anion of Buckminsterfullerene, $C_{60}^{2}-$

Abstract

The fullerenes exhibit a remarkable ability to accommodate excess negative charge. We have observed $C_{60}^{2}-$ in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer by laser vaporization of raw fullerene material which had been extracted from soot produced with graphite rods. A variety of tests were performed to verify the existence of the double negatively charged species. The most definitive of these measures frequency shifts as a function of ICR trapping voltage.