It remains a cage: ionization tolerance of C₆₀ fullerene in planetary nebulae

We demonstrate that by combining two robust theoretical quantum chemistry calculation techniques, stepwise ionization of C60 fullerene UV and extreme photons can in principle occur up to a limit as high C6026+ before coulomb explosion the cage. Furthermore, these highly ionized forms exhibit comparable structural bonding stability for neutral fullerene. Certain astrophysical sources like central stars planetary nebulae hottest white dwarf have sufficiently hard radiation fields result series charged C60q+ species from q = 1 16. Harsher environments, hot X-ray bubbles nebulae, binaries other sources, may further push right 26 limit. These remarkable findings add new avenues complex ion/molecule reactions, fragmentation products additional pathways spreading carbon throughout universe. The implications emerging field astrochemistry all its possible states could be profound.