Carbon K-Shell X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure of Solid C60

Abstract

Absorption measurements above the carbon K-edge of solid C₆₀ have been reported for the first time, which utilize 100-1,000 eV synchrotron radiation. The C₆₀ cluster contains a significant fraction of sp² hybridized carbon bonds as revealed by the presence of a prominent π^* resonance in the XANES (X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure) spectrum. The π^* band in C₆₀ is characterized by the two humps at 285 and 288 eV, suggesting the presence of a “cage-strained” π-bond network. Furthermore, the band width and the spectral feature of the σ^* resonance imply that the long-range order is less distinct than in graphite or diamond.