Metal coated fullerene molecules and clusters

Abstract
Coevaporation of C60 and an alkali metal in a gas aggregationcell yields a distribution of clusters with composition (C60) n M x with 0≤x<150, n=1,2,3, and M=Li, Na, and K. For singly ionized clusters the mass peaks are strong for odd values of x but only after reaching the composition C60M7 +. It is suggested that the onset of even–odd alternation marks the end of electron transfer between metal and C60 and the beginning of metal–metal bonding.