Superconductivity at 45 k in rb/tl codoped c60 and c60/c70 mixtures.

The appearance of superconductivity at relatively high temperatures in alkali metal-doped C(60) fullerene provides the challenge to both understand the nature and origin of the superconductivity and to determine the upper limit of the superconducting transition temperature (T(c)). Towards the latter goal, it is shown that doping with potassium-thallium and rubidium-thallium alloys in the 400 to 430 degrees C temperature range increases the T(c) of C(60)/C(70) mixtures to 25.6 K and above 45 K, respectively. Similar increases in T(c) were also observed upon analogous doping of pure C(60). Partial substitution of potassium with thallium in interstitial sites between C(60) molecules is suggested by larger observed unit cell parameters than for the K(3)C(60) and K(4)C(60) phases. Contrary to previous results for C(60) doped with different alkali metals, such expansion does not alone account for the changes in critical temperature.