Nanostructuring of potassium fulleride layers

Homogeneous C60 layers are prepared by vapor deposition. Electrochemical doping with K+ ions leads to the formation of nanostructures on a 20 nm to 50 nm scale. It is shown by means of Monte Carlo simulations that this process can be understood as a decomposition of K x C60, 0.1 < x < 3, with respect to the distribution of the K+ ions and subsequent local phase transformations into α-C60 regions and K3C60 clusters. The metallic K3C60 clusters are used as electrodes for nanometre-scale metallization of the layers.