Stability of C20 fullerene chains

TL;DR

This study investigates the stability of C20 fullerene chains with 3 to 7 units using molecular dynamics, identifying various decay and coalescence processes affecting their structural integrity.

Contribution

It provides a detailed numerical analysis of the stability and decay mechanisms of C20 fullerene chains, highlighting the different channels of structural loss.

Findings

Multiple decay channels identified, including cluster decay and coalescence.

C20 chains exhibit specific stability thresholds depending on length.

Structural transformations are driven by molecular dynamics simulations.

Abstract

The stability of (C20)N chains with N = 3 - 7 is analyzed by numerical simulation using a tight-binding potential and molecular dynamics. Various channels of losing the cluster-chain structure of the (C20)N complexes are observed, including the decay of C20 clusters, their coalescence, and the separation of one C20 fullerene from the chain.