FORMATION OF C₃N₄ CLUSTERS BY LASER ABLATION OF NITRIDED GRAPHITE

Clusters of C ₃ N ₄ have been detected from laser ablation of nitrided graphite, The nitrided target was prepared by irradiating a graphite specimen with 248-nm laser radiation in the presence of N₂. Auger electron spectroscopy of the irradiated graphite indicated the formation of a thin layer with a composition of CN _0.29. Ablation of this nitrided layer results in the ejection of carbon cluster as well as CN ₄ and C ₃ N ₄. These results indicate that the C ₃ N ₄ cluster ion is stable. They also suggest that laser ablation within the presence of a reactive gas may be a generally applicable method of preparing targets for the subsequent formation of unique cluster species.