Ionization energies and Coulomb explosion of highly charged C-60

Ionization energies and the dynamics of fragmentation processes in highly charged C-60(m+) ions (m = 1-20) are studied using density functional calculations combined with molecular dynamics. The calculated ionization potentials increase linearly with increasing charge, and the charged clusters with m > 16 explode in less than 1 ps into small fragments containing up to seven atoms. Structural formation takes place during fragmentation, leading to an even-odd pattern of the final mass distribution similar to that found experimentally in the laser vaporization of graphite.