Dynamics of fullerene coalescence

Fullerene coalescence experimentally found in fullerene-embedded single-wall nanotubes under electron-beam irradiation or heat treatment is simulated by minimizing the classical action for many atom systems. The dynamical trajectory for forming a (5,5) C-120 nanocapsule from two C-60 fullerene molecules consists of thermal motions around potential basins and ten successive Stone-Wales-type bond rotations after the initial cage-opening process for which energy cost is about 8 eV. Dynamical paths for forming large-diameter nanocapsules with (10,0), (6,6), and (12,0) chiral indexes have more bond rotations than 25 with the transition barriers in a range of 10-12 eV.