Binding energy of C60+ revisited -: What is the problem?

The binding energy of C-60(+) (or C-60) has been the subject of numerous experimental reports. Published values range from E-a = 2-13 eV for C-2 loss from C-60(+). One reason for this enormous scatter is the fact that the transition state of metastable C-60 has unusual properties which, if not taken into account in the data analysis, lead to erroneous binding energies. We critically examine and re-analyze previously published reports within a common framework (with an A-factor of 5 x 10(19) s(-1) or, equivalently, a Gspann factor of 33.8). The resulting binding energies of 17 previously reported gas-phase studies agree surprisingly well with each other, and their average, E-a = 10.0 +/- 0.2 eV, agrees with theory. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.