Rotational dynamics of solid C70: A neutron-scattering study

We report the results of neutron-diffraction and low-energy neutron-inelastic-scattering experiments on high-purity solid C70 between 10 and 640 K. Thermal hysteresis effects are found to accompany structural changes both on cooling and on heating. The observed diffuse scattering intensity does not change with temperature. At 10 K broad librational peaks are observed at 1.82(16) meV [full width at half maximum=1.8(5) meV]. The peaks soften and broaden further with increasing temperature. At and above room temperature, they collapse into a single quasielastic line. At 300 K, the diffusive reorientational motion appears to be somewhat anisotropic, becoming less so with increasing temperature. An isotropic rotational diffusion model, in which the motions of adjacent molecules are uncorrelated, describes well the results at 525 K. The temperature dependence of the rotational diffusion constants is consistent with a thermally activated process having an activation energy of 32(7) meV.