2001ApJ...548L.225S

A mixture of hydrides of buckminsterfullerene made by the interaction of atomic hydrogen with C₆₀ is investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) in ultrahigh vacuum. The energy-loss spectra of partially hydrogenated C₆₀ multilayers reveal vibrational features previously observed in infrared emission from interstellar and circumstellar dust clouds, including a broad loss envelope between 1150 and 1310 cm^–1, followed by a band at 1620 cm^–1 in remarkable agreement with the canonical interstellar spacing of 300 cm^–1. Additionally, a major CH stretching band near 2900 cm^–1 is observed and compared with the Galactic center absorption spectrum.