Chemical shielding of H2O and HF encapsulated inside a C60 cage

Molecular surgery provides the opportunity to study relatively large molecules encapsulated within a fullerene cage. Here we determine the location of an H2O molecule isolated within an adsorbed buckminsterfullerene cage, and compare this to the intrafullerene position of HF. Using normal incidence X-ray standing wave (NIXSW) analysis, coupled with density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that both H2O and HF are located at an off-centre position within the fullerene cage, caused by substantial intra-cage electrostatic fields generated by surface adsorption of the fullerene. The atomistic and electronic structure simulations also reveal significant internal rotational motion consistent with the NIXSW data. Despite this substantial intra-cage interaction, we find that neither HF or H2O contribute to the endofullerene frontier orbitals, confirming the chemical isolation of the encapsulated molecules. We also show that our experimental NIXSW measurements and theoretical data are best described by a mixed adsorption site model.

Capturing a Tetratomic Nitrogen Ring cyclo-N4 inside an Aza[ 82 ]fullerene

Synthesis of polymeric nitrogen compounds is a formidable task due to the proneness of nitrogen to the formation of N ≡ N triple bond, one of the strongest chemical bonds known. Here, we report an arc-discharge approach to successfully stabilize the elusive four-membered nitrogen ring (cyclo-N4) in an unprecedented endohedral metallofullerene Dy2N4@C81N (Dy-I). Its molecular structure has been unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallography to show a covalently bonded cyclo-N4 plane bridging two dysprosium ions inside an aza[82]fullerene cage, highlighting the stabilization of cyclo-N4 as a concurrent result of fullerene encapsulation and metal coordination. Our computational results further reveal a six-center-one-electron (6c-1e) bond delocalized over the inverse-sandwich Dy-N4-Dy cluster. This chemical peculiarity stems from the diffuse radical character of the highly anionic cyclo-N43− ligand, which is confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of Y2N4@C81N (Y-I).

Characterization of a strong covalent Th3+–Th3+ bond inside an Ih(7)-C80 fullerene cage

The nature of the actinide-actinide bonds is of fundamental importance to understand the electronic structure of the 5f elements. It has attracted considerable theoretical attention, but little is known experimentally as the synthesis of these chemical bonds remains extremely challenging. Herein, we report a strong covalent Th-Th bond formed between two rarely accessible Th3+ ions, stabilized inside a fullerene cage nanocontainer as Th2@Ih(7)-C80. This compound is synthesized using the arc-discharge method and fully characterized using several techniques. The single-crystal X-Ray diffraction analysis determines that the two Th atoms are separated by 3.816 Å. Both experimental and quantum-chemical results show that the two Th atoms have formal charges of +3 and confirm the presence of a strong covalent Th-Th bond inside Ih(7)-C80. Moreover, density functional theory and ab initio multireference calculations suggest that the overlap between the 7s/6d hybrid thorium orbitals is so large that the bond still exists at Th-Th separations larger than 6 Å. This work demonstrates the authenticity of covalent actinide metal-metal bonds in a stable compound and deepens our fundamental understanding of f element metal bonds.

U2N@Ih(7)-C80: fullerene cage encapsulating an unsymmetrical U(iv)NU(v) cluster

A novel actinide cluster, UNU, is stabilized inside a C80 fullerene cage. The U(iv)NU(v) cluster features two UN bonds with uneven bond distances of 2.058(3) Å and 1.943(3) Å, leading to an unsymmetrical structure.

Rotation of fullerene molecules in the crystal lattice of fullerene/porphyrin: C60 and Sc3N@C80

The temperature driven rotation of the encapsulated Sc3N cluster in a C80 fullerene cage was unraveled by variable temperature X-ray diffraction, which is significantly different from its analogues (Ho2LuN/Lu3N).

Stabilizing Three-Center Single-Electron Metal-Metal Bond in a Fullerene Cage

Trimetallic carbide clusterfullerenes (TCCFs) encapsulating a quinary M3C2 cluster represent a special family of endohedral fullerenes with open-shelled electronic configuration. Herein, a novel TCCF based on a medium-sized rare earth...

Th@D5h(6)-C80: highly symmetric fullerene cage stabilized by a single metal ion

A novel endohedral metallofullerene (mono-EMF), Th@D5h(6)-C80, has been successfully synthesized and fully characterized by mass spectrometry, single crystal X-ray diffraction, UV-vis-NIR, Raman spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Single crystal XRD analysis...

Structural Studies of Giant Empty and Endohedral Fullerenes

Structure elucidations of giant fullerenes composed of 100 or more carbon atoms are severely hampered by their extremely low yield, poor solubility and huge numbers of possible cage isomers. High-temperature exohedral chlorination followed by X-ray single crystal diffraction studies of the chloro derivatives offers a practical solution for structure elucidations of giant fullerenes. Various isomers of giant fullerenes have been determined by this method, specially, non-classical giant fullerenes containing heptagons generated by the skeletal transformations of carbon cages. Alternatively, giant fullerenes can be also stabilized by encapsulating metal atoms or clusters through intramolecular electron transfer from the encapsulated species to the outer fullerene cage. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview on synthesis, separation and structural elucidation of giant fullerenes. The isomer structures, chlorination patterns of a series of giant fullerenes C2n (2n = 100-108) and heptagon-containing non-classical fullerenes derived from giant fullerenes are summarized. On the other hand, giant endohedral fullerenes bearing different endohedral species are also discussed. At the end, we propose an outlook on the future development of giant fullerenes.

Instability of molecular structure of non-IPR isomer 17984 (C1) of the C76 fullerene and probable ways of its stabilization

It is well-known that non-IPR fullerenes are highly unstable. For this reason, they cannot be obtained as pristine fullerenes; however, some of them become stable as derivatives (exohedral or endohedral). In this article, we attempted to elucidate in detail molecular structure for such a non-IPR fullerene. Using theoretical approach supported by DFT calculations, the features of molecular structure of isomer 17894 (C1) of fullerene C76 with data about distribution of single, double and delocalized π-bonds as well its structural formula has been determined for the first time. The instability of the studied fullerene molecule caused by its open-shell structure and significant local overstrains related to the high folding angle value of pentagons in pentalene fragment. The supposed synthesis of the endohedral molecule starts with the ionic pair formation, i.e. anionic fragment of fullerene cage and metal cation electrostatically bound with it. It would lead to closing of open electron shell of fullerene and local overstrain release at pentalene fragment. As to the exohedral derivatives the probable positions of addends are discussed. Both methods in their own demonstrate the possibilities to stabilize the molecule of the C76 isomer 17894. The elucidation and analysis of structural features along with electronic characteristics of non-IPR fullerene molecules appear to be useful for predicting the possibility of their synthesis as derivatives and will assist in determination of their reactivity. This will ensure the targeted production of fullerenes and their derivatives for the needs of medicine, electronics and other industries. The fundamental knowledge of the properties of nanoobjects, namely fullerenes, is actually developing as the independent direction with a long-term perspective.