  The heat of sublimation of the endohedral metallofullerene Er3N@C80 was
measured via Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry. The large molecule consists of
a C80 fullerene cage which is stabilized by comprising a complex of three
erbium atoms bounded to a nitrogen atom and has a mass of 1475 amu. The mass
spectrum at a temperature of 1045 K and the relative intensities of the thermal
fractions of Er3N@C80 are provided. We also discuss possible thermal
decomposition processes for these particles. By measuring the quantity of
evaporated molecules in thermal equilibrium through a quadrupole mass
spectrometer in a temperature range between 782 K and 1128 K, a value for the
sublimation enthalpy of Hsub = 237 +-7 kJ/mol is obtained from the second law
method.

Atomic and Molecular Clusters