Experimental evidence for the formation of hydrogenated fullerene molecules is presented. Films of C60 were grown on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (substrate) and exposed to a beam of deuterium atoms. Thermal desorption combined with mass spectrometry was used to determine the deuterated fullerene products formed, revealing a maximum degree of deuteration corresponding to C60D36. Release of D2 from the deuterated C60 film occurs at a much higher temperature than for D-saturated graphite.

Reactions on carbonaceous surfaces play an important role in processes such as H2 formation in the interstellar medium. We have investigated the adsorption of C2 molecules on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface and then exposed them to a beam of deuterium atoms in order to investigate the formation of deuterated fullerenes. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to probe the adsorbed molecules and their deuteration. Deuteration of C2 films results in increased thermal stability of the film, relative to films of pristine C2, along with an evolution towards higher deuterated species. The STM data provide confirmatory evidence for the formation of deuterated fullerene species.