9501325 Stephens Recipients of this grant will investigate the relationship between the structural and electrical properties of fullerene based compounds. The sample preparation effort will be concentrated on conducting polymeric fullerides of A-carbon-60 composition, where A is an alkali metal, and related compounds. Materials obtained from collaborators will also be investigated. X-ray diffraction and infrared optical spectroscopy will be performed in the laboratory of the principal investigators at Stony Brook, and also at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Direct current electrical transport will be measured in Stony Brook. In addition to being a potentially useful material in electronic and structural applications, the carbon-60 molecule is also challenging for basic research, as it provides systems in which the electron-phonon coupling (on the molecule) and the electron transport (between the molecules) may be independently tuned. %%% Among the myriad compounds synthesized from buckminster fullerene (the carbon-60 molecule), three groups have particularly interesting properties: the superconductors, the organic ferromagnets, and the electrically conducting polymers. The research team at Stony Brook has a proven track record in the investigation of these materials, and continues to explore new compounds based on this remarkable, highly symmetric molecule. The main focus of the research is on the relationship between structural and electrical properties. The two most extensively utilized experimental tools will be X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy. This project will benefit greatly from the extensive use of instrumentation and collaboration with scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Research on fullerenes may lead to novel electronic and structural materials. The effort funded here contributes significantly t o this broader goal by utilizing the unique experimental capabilities available to the investigators. ***
