PAC study of the static and dynamic aspects of metal atom inside C60 cage

TL;DR

This study investigates the static and dynamic behavior of metal atoms, specifically Cd and Hg, inside C60 cages using TDPAC measurements, revealing site occupation, relaxation dynamics, and quadrupole interactions.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental insights into the site occupancy and relaxation properties of Cd and Hg atoms inside C60, highlighting their dynamic behavior at room temperature.

Findings

Cd atom occupies a single site with fast relaxation inside C60.

Hg atom exhibits two static sites with distinct quadrupole frequencies.

Significant atomic motion occurs inside the cage at room temperature.

Abstract

30 keV 111mCd and 50 keV 199mHg beams from ISOLDE were used to implant on preformed target of C60 with the thickness of 1 mg/cm2. Endofullerene compounds, viz.,111mCd@C60 and 199mHg@C60 formed during implantation were separated by filtration through micropore filter paper followed by solvent extraction. Dried samples of the endofullerene compounds were counted for the coincidence for the 151-245 keV cascade of 111mCd and 374-158 keV cascade for 199mHg for the TDPAC measurement on a six LaBr3 detector system coupled with digital electronics. The results indicate a single site occupied by the Cd atom in the fullerene cage with fast relaxation component which means that the Cd atom does move inside the cage at room temperature. The quadrupole interaction frequency and asymmetry parameter of the Cd atom occupying the site in C60 are WQ=8.14(42) Mrad/s and eta= 0.42(9) respectively with a site population of 28%. Fast relaxation constant is 0.003 ns-1 with a site contribution of 72%. On the other hand, Hg atom has two static sites of quadrupole frequencies, WQ1=281.60(16.9) Mrad/s and WQ2=202.30(22.7) Mrad/s. Respective asymmetry parameters are eta1=0.1(1) and eta2=0.2(1). The static components have a contribution of 40% with the rest 60% coming from the fast relaxing component.