M. R. Stetzer, P. A. Heiney, J. E. Fischer, and A. R. McGhie, submitted to Phys. Rev. B55, 127-131 (197)
We have used differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction to study the thermal stability of pristine C60 in the solid state. To minimize contamination and/or reaction of the sample with the container, sublimed single crystals and powder derived from resublimed C60 material were heated in hermetically sealed Au pans. Crystals heated at 1260 K for more than 10 minutes decomposed into amorphous carbon without losing their faceted morphology.