Bond breaking and making in mixed clusters of fullerene and coronene molecules induced by keV-ion impact

N Florin and A Domaracka and P Rousseau and M Gatchell and H Zettergren, PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS, 26, 20340-20347 (2024).

DOI: 10.1039/d4cp01147c

We have performed classical molecular dynamics simulations of 3 keV Ar + (C24H12)n(C60)m collisions where (n,m) = (3,2),(1,4),(9,4) and (2,11). The simulated mass spectra of covalently bound reaction products reproduce the main features of the corresponding experimental results reported by Domaracka et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2018, 20, 15052-15060. The present results support their conclusion that molecular growth is mainly driven by knockout where individual atoms are promptly removed in Rutherford type scattering processes. The so formed highly reactive fragments may then bind with neighboring molecules in the clusters producing a rich variety of growth products extending up to sizes containing several hundreds of atoms, and here we show examples of such structures. In addition, knocked out atoms may be absorbed such that e.g. hydrogenated coronene and fullerene molecules are formed. Bond-forming reactions induced in mixed clusters of coronene and C60 by energetic impact of argon ions are modeled using molecular dynamics simulations. A wide range of reaction products and growth mechanisms are identified.

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