The sublimation of pure C-60 and the thermal desorption of C-60 fullerene deposited on MgO and graphite samples have been analyzed by mass spectrometry. The experiments have been performed in the Desorption Electron Impact mode (DEI) using a heating current between 40 and 1200 mA. The desorption from a substrate as well as the C-60 sublimation is a first order process with an activation energy of about 200 kJ mole(-1). This value confirms the computational results obtained for van der Waals interaction, The peak broadening in the case of C-60/graphite can be explained by a strong interaction between C-60 and the graphite substrate which is also predicted theoretically.
Richter, H., Dereux, A., Gilles, JM., Guillaume, C., Thiry, P. A., Lucas, AA., Rozenberg, R., Spote, A., de Hoffmann, E., & Girard, C. (1994). Sublimation of Pure C-60 Fullerene and of C-60 Adsorbed On Mgo Or Graphite Powders. Deutsche Bunsen-Gesellschaft fuer Physikalische Chemie. Berichte, 98(10), 1329-1331. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/44493 (Original work published 1994)