| Abstract: | Radical anion salt {cryptand[2.2.2] (K+)}2(bispheroid)2??3.5C6H4Cl2 ( 1 ) of the double‐caged fullerene C60 derivative, in which fullerene cages are linked by a cyclobutane bridging cycle and additionally by a pyrrolizidine moiety, was obtained. Each fullerene cage in this derivative accepts one electron on reduction, thus forming the (bispheroid)2? dianions with two interacting S=1/2 spins on the neighboring cages. Low‐temperature magnetic measurements reveal a singlet ground state of the bispheroid dianions whereas triplet contributions prevail at increased temperature. An estimated exchange interaction between two spins J/kB=?78 K in 1 indicates strong magnetic coupling between them, nearly two times higher than that (J/kB=?44.7 K) in previously studied (C60?)2 dimers linked via a cyclobutane bridge only. The enhancement of magnetic coupling in 1 can be explained by a shorter distance between the fullerene cages and, possibly, an additional channel for the magnetic exchange provided by a pyrrolizidine bridge. Quantum‐chemical calculations of the lowest electronic state of the dianions by means of multi‐configuration quasi‐degenerate perturbation theory support the experimental findings. |
