Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol.97, No.51, 13438-13440, 1993
Direct STM Imaging of Spherical Endohedral SC-2-at-C-84 Fullerenes
The direct scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging of the isolated discandium fullerenes (Sc-2@C-84) on silicon clean surfaces in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment has been reported for the first time. The STM images reveal nearly spherical Sc-2@C-84 fullerenes, spaced 11.7 Angstrom apart and stacked in close-packed arrays at room temperature. The results present the first direct evidence that the scandium atoms are trapped inside the C-84 cage.