How stable are molecular dianions?

Abstract

Since the discovery of fullerenes, the C60 molecule has attracted considerable attention because of its high level of symmetry and its ability to act as a platform for studying interacting electrons. It can be created as a doubly negatively charged ion in vacuum, which has raised the question of whether it is stable or meta stable. In this thesis we use a simple model to calculate the lifetime of the C2-60 molecule. Through tunneling calculations, it is found that the lifetime should be measurable if the dianions can be stored for up to a minute.