Preferential formation of C10− upon tandem irradiation of graphite with IR and UV laser pulses

Abstract

Infrared (IR) pulse laser ablation of graphite followed by tightly focused ultraviolet (UV) pulse laser irradiation yields C10− predominantly when the delay time between the two laser pulses is set at about 50–200 μs. The mechanism of the formation of C10− is deduced to be the attachment of slow photoelectrons to neutral C10 produced by fragmentation of hot neutral clusters of larger sizes. There is an indication that C10 and its anion have cyclic structures in contrast to the other chainlike clusters.