Detection of negative fullerene conformers

Negative fullerene metastable negative conformers have been detected using electron transfer neutral atom scattering. The anions have been produced through alkali–fullerene collision process, in an energy range well above the ion-pair formation threshold, but still low enough where only the negative parent ion is formed. The interpretation of the parent ion band structure, in time-of-flight spectra, points to the formation of different fullerene conformers, which are favoured by the strong polarization of the cluster anion due to the positive alkali projectile ion. An electric effect operating at nanoscales enables the experimental detection of spheroidal metastable conformers.