Bonding in Endohedral Metallofullerenes as Studied by Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules

Metal–cage and intracluster bonding was studied in detail by quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) for the four major classes of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs), including monometallofullerenes Ca@C₇₂, La@C₇₂, M@C₈₂ (M=Ca, Sc, Y, La), dimetallofullerenes Sc₂@C₇₆, Y₂@C₈₂, Y₂@C₇₉N, La₂@C₇₈, La₂@C₈₀, metal nitride clusterfullerenes Sc₃N@C_2n (2n=68, 70, 78, 80), Y₃N@C_2n (2n=78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88), La₃N@C_2n (2n=88, 92, 96), metal carbide clusterfullerenes Sc₂C₂@C₆₈, Sc₂C₂@C₈₂, Sc₂C₂@C₈₄, Ti₂C₂@C₇₈, Y₂C₂@C₈₂, Sc₃C₂@C₈₀, as well as Sc₃CH@C₈₀ and Sc₄O_x@C₈₀ (x=2, 3), that is, 42 EMF molecules and ions in total. Analysis of the delocalization indices and bond critical point (BCP) indicators such as G_bcp/ρ_bcp, H_bcp/ρ_bcp, and |V_bcp|/G_bcp, revealed that all types of bonding in EMFs exhibit a high degree of covalency, and the ionic model is reasonable only for the Ca‐based EMFs. Metal–metal bonds with negative values of the electron‐density Laplacian were found in Y₂@C₈₂, Y₂@C₇₉N, Sc₄O₂@C₈₀, and anionic forms of La₂@C₈₀. A delocalized nature of the metal–cage bonding results in a topological instability of the electron density in EMFs with an unpredictable number of metal–cage bond paths and large elipticity values.     

Synthesis and Isolation of the Titanium–Scandium Endohedral Fullerenes—Sc2TiC@Ih‐C80, Sc2TiC@D5h‐C80 and Sc2TiC2@Ih‐C80: Metal Size Tuning of the TiIV/TiIII Redox Potentials

The formation of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) in an electric arc is reported for the mixed‐metal Sc–Ti system utilizing methane as a reactive gas. Comparison of these results with those from the Sc/CH₄ and Ti/CH₄ systems as well as syntheses without methane revealed a strong mutual influence of all key components on the product distribution. Whereas a methane atmosphere alone suppresses the formation of empty cage fullerenes, the Ti/CH₄ system forms mainly empty cage fullerenes. In contrast, the main fullerene products in the Sc/CH₄ system are Sc₄C₂@C₈₀ (the most abundant EMF from this synthesis), Sc₃C₂@C₈₀, isomers of Sc₂C₂@C₈₂, and the family Sc₂C_{2 n} (2 n=74, 76, 82, 86, 90, etc.), as well as Sc₃CH@C₈₀. The Sc–Ti/CH₄ system produces the mixed‐metal Sc₂TiC@C_{2 n} (2 n=68, 78, 80) and Sc₂TiC₂@C_{2 n} (2 n=80) clusterfullerene families. The molecular structures of the new, transition‐metal‐containing endohedral fullerenes, Sc₂TiC@I_h‐C₈₀, Sc₂TiC@D_5h‐C₈₀, and Sc₂TiC₂@I_h‐C₈₀, were characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The structure of Sc₂TiC@I_h‐C₈₀ was also determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, which demonstrated the presence of a short Ti=C double bond. Both Sc₂TiC‐ and Sc₂TiC₂‐containing clusterfullerenes have Ti‐localized LUMOs. Encapsulation of the redox‐active Ti ion inside the fullerene cage enables analysis of the cluster–cage strain in the endohedral fullerenes through electrochemical measurements.     

Identification of the Most Stable Sc2C80 Isomers: Structure,Electronic Property,and Molecular Spectra Investigations

A systematic density functional theory investigation has been carried out to explore the possible structures of Sc₂C₈₀ at the BMK/6‐31G(d) level. The results clearly show that Sc₂@C₈₀‐I_h, Sc₂@C₈₀‐D_5h, and Sc₂C₂@C₇₈‐C_2v can be identified as three isomers of Sc₂C₈₀ metallofullerene with the lowest energy. Frontier molecular orbital analysis indicates that the two Sc₂@C₈₀ isomers have a charge state as (Sc³⁺)₂@C₈₀^6?and the Sc₂C₂@C₇₈ has a charge state of (Sc³⁺)₂C₂^2?@C₇₈^4?. Moreover, the metal‐cage covalent interactions have been studied to reveal the dynamics of endohedral moiety. The vertical electron affinity, vertical ionization potential, infrared spectra and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been also computed to further disclose the molecular structures and properties.     

In‐Depth Understanding of the Chemical Properties of Rarely Explored Carbide Cluster Metallofullerenes: A Case Study of Sc2C2@C3v(8)‐C82 that Reveals a General Rule

The chemical properties of carbide‐cluster metallofullerenes (CCMFs) remain largely unexplored, although several new members of CCMFs have been discovered recently. Herein, we report the reaction between Sc₂C₂@C_3v(8)‐C₈₂, which is viewed as a prototypical CCMF because of its high abundance, and 3‐triphenylmethyl‐5‐oxazolidinone ( 1 ) to afford the corresponding pyrrolidino derivative Sc₂C₂@C_3v(8)‐C₈₂(CH₂)₂NTrt ( 2 ; Trt=triphenylmethyl). Single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography studies of 2 revealed that the reaction takes place at a [6,6]‐bond junction, which is directly over the encapsulated C₂ unit and is far from either of the two scandium atoms. On the basis of theoretical calculations and by considering previously reports, we have found that a hexagonal carbon ring on the cage of Sc₂C₂@C_3v(8)‐C₈₂ is highly reactive toward different reagents due to the overlap of high p‐orbital axis vector (POAV) angles and large LUMO coefficients. We propose that this highly concentrated area of reactivity is generated by the encapsulation of the Sc₂C₂ cluster because this region is absent from the empty fullerene C_3v(8)‐C₈₂. Moreover, the absorption and electrochemical results confirm that derivative 2 is more stable than pristine Sc₂C₂@C_3v(8)‐C₈₂, thus illuminating its potential applications.     

C68 Fullerene Isomers,Anions, and their Metallofullerenes: Charge‐Stabilizing Different Isomers

The complete set of 6332 classical isomers of the fullerene C₆₈ as well as several non‐classical isomers is investigated by PM3, and the data for some of the more stable isomers are refined by the DFT‐based methods HCTH and B3LYP. C₂:0112 possesses the lowest energy of all the neutral isomers and it prevails in a wide range of temperatures. Among the fullerene ions modeled, C₆₈^2?, C₆₈^4? and C₆₈^6?, the isomers C₆₈^2?(C_s:0064), C₆₈^4?(C_2v:0008), and C₆₈^6?(D₃:0009) respectively, are predicted to be the most stable. This reveals that the pentagon adjacency penalty rule (PAPR) does not necessarily apply to the charged fullerene cages. The vertical electron affinities of the neutral C_s:0064, C_2v:0008, and D₃:0009 isomers are 3.41, 3.29, and 3.10 eV, respectively, suggesting that they are good electron acceptors. The predicted complexation energy, that is, the adiabatic binding energy between the cage and encapsulated cluster, of Sc₂C₂@C₆₈(C_2v:0008) is ?6.95 eV, thus greatly releasing the strain of its parent fullerene (C_2v:0008). Essentially, C₆₈ fullerene isomers are charge‐stabilized. Thus, inducing charge facilitates the isolation of the different isomers. Further investigations show that the steric effect of the encaged cluster should also be an important factor to stabilize the C₆₈ fullerenes effectively.     

Sc2O@Td(19151)‐C76: Hindered Cluster Motion inside a Tetrahedral Carbon Cage Probed by Crystallographic and Computational Studies

A new cluster fullerene, Sc₂O@T_d(19151)‐C₇₆, has been isolated and characterized by mass spectrometry, UV/Vis/NIR absorption, ⁴⁵Sc NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The crystallographic analysis unambiguously assigned the cage structure as T_d(19151)‐C₇₆, which is the first tetrahedral fullerene cage characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. This study also demonstrated that the Sc₂O cluster has a much smaller Sc?O?Sc angle than that of Sc₂O@C_s(6)‐C₈₂ and the Sc₂O unit is fully ordered inside the T_d(19151)‐C₇₆ cage. Computational studies further revealed that the cluster motion of the Sc₂O is more restrained in the T_d(19151)‐C₇₆ cage than that in the C_s(6)‐C₈₂ cage. These results suggest that cage size affects not only the shapes but also the cluster motion inside fullerene cages.     

Synthesis and Structure of LaSc2N@Cs(hept)‐C80 with One Heptagon and Thirteen Pentagons

The synthesis and single‐crystal X‐ray structural characterization of the first endohedral metallofullerene to contain a heptagon in the carbon cage are reported. The carbon framework surrounding the planar LaSc₂N unit in LaSc₂N@C_s(hept)‐C₈₀ consists of one heptagon, 13 pentagons, and 28 hexagons. This cage is related to the most abundant I_h‐C₈₀ isomer by one Stone–Wales‐like, heptagon/pentagon to hexagon/hexagon realignment. DFT computations predict that LaSc₂N@C_s(hept)‐C₈₀ is more stable than LaSc₂N@D_5h‐C₈₀, and suggests that the low yield of the heptagon‐containing endohedral fullerene may be caused by kinetic factors.     

Crystallographic and Theoretical Investigations of Er2@C2 n (2 n=82, 84, 86): Indication of Distance-Dependent Metal–Metal Bonding Nature

Successful isolation and characterization of a series of Er-based dimetallofullerenes present valuable insights into the realm of metal–metal bonding. These species are crystallographically identified as Er₂@C_s(6)-C₈₂, Er₂@C_3v(8)-C₈₂, Er₂@C₁(12)-C₈₄, and Er₂@C_2v(9)-C₈₆, in which the structure of the C₁(12)-C₈₄ cage is unambiguously characterized for the first time by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Interestingly, natural bond orbital analysis demonstrates that the two Er atoms in Er₂@C_s(6)-C₈₂, Er₂@C_3v(8)-C₈₂, and Er₂@C_2v(9)-C₈₆ form a two-electron-two-center Er−Er bond. However, for Er₂@C₁(12)-C₈₄, with the longest Er⋅⋅⋅Er distance, a one-electron-two-center Er−Er bond may exist. Thus, the difference in the Er⋅⋅⋅Er separation indicates distinct metal bonding natures, suggesting a distance-dependent bonding behavior for the internal dimetallic cluster. Additionally, electrochemical studies suggest that Er₂@C_82–86 are good electron donors instead of electron acceptors. Hence, this finding initiates a connection between metal–metal bonding chemistry and fullerene chemistry.     

An Efficient Method to Separate Sc3N@C80 Ih and D5h Isomers and Sc3N@C78 by Selective Oxidation with Acetylferrocenium [Fe(COCH3C5H4)Cp]+

Based on the different oxidation potentials of endohedral fullerenes Sc₃N@C₈₀ I_h and D_5h and Sc₃N@C₇₈, an efficient and useful method that avoids HPLC has been developed for their separation. Selective chemical oxidation of the Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀ isomer and Sc₃N@C₇₈ by using an acetylferrocenium salt [Fe(COCH₃C₅H₄)Cp]⁺ followed by column chromatographic separation and reduction with CH₃SNa resulted in the isolation of pure Sc₃N@I_h‐C₈₀, Sc₃N@C₇₈, and a mixture of Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀ and Sc₃N@C₆₈.     

Quantum Chemical Insight of the Dimetallic Sulfide Endohedral Fullerene Sc2S@C70: Does It Possess the Conventional D5h Cage?

Like C₆₀, C₇₀ is one of the most representative fullerenes in fullerene science. Even though there are 8149 C₇₀ isomers, only two of them have been found before: the conventional D_5h and an isolated pentagon rule (IPR)‐violating C_2v(7854). Through the use of quantum chemical methods, we report a new unconventional C₇₀ isomer, C₂(7892), which survives in the form of dimetallic sulfide endohedral fullerene Sc₂S@C₇₀. Compared with the IPR‐obeying C₇₀ and the C_2v(7854) fullerene with three pairs of pentagon adjacencies, the C₂(7892) cage violates the isolated pentagon rule and has two pairs of pentagon adjacencies. In Sc₂S@C₂(7892)‐C₇₀, two scandium atoms coordinate with two pentalene motifs, respectively, presenting two equivalent Sc? S bonds. The strong coordination interaction, along with the electron transfer from the Sc₂S cluster to the fullerene cage, results in the stabilization of the non‐IPR endohedral fullerene. The electronic structure of Sc₂S@C₇₀ can be formally described as [Sc₂S]⁴⁺@[C₇₀]^4?; however, a substantial overlap between the metallic orbitals and cage orbitals has also been found. Electrochemical properties and electronic absorption, infrared, and ¹³C NMR spectra of Sc₂S@C₇₀ have been calculated theoretically.     

La2@Cs(17 490)‐C76: A New Non‐IPR Dimetallic Metallofullerene Featuring Unexpectedly Weak Metal–Pentalene Interactions

Although all the pure‐carbon fullerene isomers above C₆₀ reported to date comply with the isolated pentagon rule (IPR), non‐IPR structures, which are expected to have different properties from those of IPR species, are obtainable either by exohedral modification or by endohedral atom doping. This report describes the isolation and characterization of a new endohedral metallofullerene (EMF), La₂@C₇₆, which has a non‐IPR fullerene cage. The X‐ray crystallographic result for the La₂@C₇₆/[Ni^II(OEP)] (OEP=octaethylporphyrin) cocrystal unambiguously elucidated the C_s(17 490)‐C₇₆ cage structure, which contains two adjacent pentagon pairs. Surprisingly, multiple metal sites were distinguished from the X‐ray data, which implies dynamic behavior for the two La³⁺ cations inside the cage. This dynamic behavior was also corroborated by variable‐temperature ¹³⁹ La NMR spectroscopy. This phenomenon conflicts with the widely accepted idea that the metal cations in non‐IPR EMFs invariably coordinate strongly with the negatively charged fused‐pentagon carbons, thereby providing new insights into modern coordination chemistry. Furthermore, our electrochemical and computational studies reveal that La₂@C_s(17 490)‐C₇₆ has a larger HOMO–LUMO gap than other dilanthanum‐EMFs with IPR cage structures, such as La₂@D_3h(5)‐C₇₈ and La₂@I_h(7)‐C₈₀, which implies that IPR is no longer a strict rule for EMFs.     

Dimetallic sulfide endohedral metallofullerene Sc2S@C76: Density functional theory characterization

In terms of density functional theory combined with statistic mechanics computations, we investigated a dimetallic sulfide endohedral fullerene Sc₂S@C₇₆ which has been synthesized without any characterization in experiments. Our theoretical study reveals that Sc₂S@T_d(19151)‐C₇₆ which satisfies the isolated‐pentagon rule (IPR) possesses the lowest energy, followed by three non‐IPR structures (Sc₂S@C_2v(19138)‐C₇₆, Sc₂S@C_s (17490)‐C₇₆, and Sc₂S@C₁(17459)‐C₇₆). To clarify the relative stabilities of those isomers at high temperatures, enthalpy–entropy interplay has been taken into consideration. Calculation results indicate that three species Sc₂S@T_d(19151)‐C₇₆, Sc₂S@C_2v(19138)‐C₇₆, and Sc₂S@C₁(17459)‐C₇₆ have noticeable molar fractions at the fullerene‐formation temperature region (500–3000K), and the Sc₂S@C₁(17459)‐C₇₆ with one pentagon pair becomes the most predominant isomer above 1800 K, suggesting that the unexpected non‐IPR structure is thermodynamically favorable at elevated temperatures. In addition, the structural characteristics, electron features, UV‐vis‐NIR adsorptions, and ¹³C NMR spectra of those three stable structures are introduced to assist experimental identification and characterization in future. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An Expanded Family of Dysprosium–Scandium Mixed‐Metal Nitride Clusterfullerenes: The Role of the Lanthanide Metal on the Carbon Cage Size Distribution

A large family of dysprosium–scandium (Dy‐Sc) mixed‐metal nitride clusterfullerenes (MMNCFs), Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n (x=1, 2, 2n=68, 70, 76–86) have been successfully synthesized and isolated. Among these, the C₇₀ and C₈₂‐based MMNCFs are two new cages that have never been isolated for MMNCFs. Synthesis of Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n was accomplished by the “selective organic solid” route using guanidinium thiocyanate as the nitrogen source, and their isolation was fulfilled by recycling HPLC. UV/Vis‐NIR spectroscopic study indicates that almost all Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n MMNCFs are kinetically stable fullerenes with optical band gaps beyond 1 eV. This feature is distinctly different to their counterparts Dy₃N@C_2n (78≤2n≤88), whose for optical band‐gaps are below 1 eV for relatively large cages such as C₈₄ and C₈₆. An FTIR spectroscopic study in combination with DFT calculations enables reasonable assignments of the cage isomeric structures of all isolated Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n (x=1, 2, 2n=68, 70, 76–86) MMNCFs. The carbon cage size distribution of Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n (2n=68, 70, 76–86) is compared to the reported Dy₃N@C_2n (78≤2n≤8) homogeneous NCF and Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n (78≤2n≤88) MMNCF families, revealing that the medium‐sized Dy metal plays a crucial role on the expanded cage size distribution of MMNCFs. As a result, Dy_xSc_3?xN@C_2n MMNCFs are the largest MMNCF family reported to date.     

Monometallic cyanide cluster fullerene YCN@C78: A theoretical prediction

Stimulated by the recent experimental success in production and characterization of YCN@C_s(6)‐C₈₂, the possibility of encapsulating YCN cluster in the C₇₈ fullerene has been performed using density functional theory. Six isomers of YCN@C₇₈ are considered based on six lowest energy C₇₈^2? isomers. The results reveal that YCN@D_3h(24109)‐C₇₈ and YCN@C_2v(24107)‐C₇₈, both of which satisfy the isolated‐pentagon rule, present excellent thermodynamic stability with very small energy differences. Moreover, the large HOMO‐LUMO gaps (1.55 and 1.47 eV for YCN@D_3h(24109)‐C₇₈ and YCN@C_2v(24107)‐C₇₈, respectively) indicate their high kinetic stabilities. Significantly, in both the structures, the encapsulated YCN cluster is triangular, similar to the cases of YCN@C_s(6)‐C₈₂ and TbCN@C₂(5)‐C₈₂. In addition, electronic absorption spectra, infrared spectra, and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of two stable structures have also been explored to further disclose the molecular structures and properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Full Exploration of the Diels–Alder Cycloaddition on Metallofullerenes M3N@C80 (M=Sc,Lu, Gd): The D5h versus Ih Isomer and the Influence of the Metal Cluster

In this work a detailed investigation of the exohedral reactivity of the most important and abundant endohedral metallofullerene (EMF) is provided, that is, Sc₃N@I_h‐C₈₀ and its D_5h counterpart Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀, and the (bio)chemically relevant lutetium‐ and gadolinium‐based M₃N@I_h/D_5h‐C₈₀ EMFs (M=Sc, Lu, Gd). In particular, we analyze the thermodynamics and kinetics of the Diels–Alder cycloaddition of s‐cis‐1,3‐butadiene on all the different bonds of the I_h‐C₈₀ and D_5h‐C₈₀ cages and their endohedral derivatives. First, we discuss the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of the cycloaddition reaction on the hollow fullerenes and the two isomers of Sc₃N@C₈₀. Afterwards, the effect of the nature of the metal nitride is analyzed in detail. In general, our BP86/TZP//BP86/DZP calculations indicate that [5,6] bonds are more reactive than [6,6] bonds for the two isomers. The [5,6] bond D _5h ‐b , which is the most similar to the unique [5,6] bond type in the icosahedral cage, I _h ‐a , is the most reactive bond in M₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀ regardless of M. Sc₃N@C₈₀ and Lu₃N@C₈₀ give similar results; the regioselectivity is, however, significantly reduced for the larger and more electropositive M=Gd, as previously found in similar metallofullerenes. Calculations also show that the D_5h isomer is more reactive from the kinetic point of view than the I_h one in all cases which is in good agreement with experiments.     

New Trifluoromethylated Derivatives of Metal Nitride Clusterfullerenes: Sc3N@Ih‐C80(CF3)14 and Sc3N@D5h‐C80(CF3)16

Trifluoromethylated derivatives of Sc₃N@I_h‐C₈₀ and Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀ were synthesized by the reaction with CF₃I at 440 °C. HPLC separation of the mixture of Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀(CF₃)_n derivatives resulted in isolation and X‐ray structure determination of Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀(CF₃)₁₆, which represents a precursor of the known Sc₃N@D_5h‐C₈₀(CF₃)₁₈. Among the CF₃ derivatives of Sc₃N@I_h‐C₈₀, two new isomers of Sc₃N@I_h‐C₈₀(CF₃)₁₄ ( Sc‐14‐VI and Sc‐14‐VII ) were isolated by HPLC, and their molecular structures were determined by X‐ray diffraction, thus enabling a comprehensive comparison of altogether seven isomers. Two types of addition patterns with different orientations of the Sc₃N cluster relative to the I_h‐C₈₀ fullerene cage were established. In particular, Sc‐14‐VII represents a direct precursor of the known Sc₃N@I_h‐C₈₀(CF₃)₁₆‐ II . All molecular structures exhibit an ordered position of a Sc₃N cluster inside the fullerene C₈₀ cage.     

Effect of cage size on the third‐order optical properties of endohedral metallofullerenes Sc3N@C2n (2n = 68, 70, 78, and 80): A theoretical study

Geometrical structures of the investigated endohedral metallofullerenes Sc₃N@C_2n (2n = 68, 70, 78, and 80) were optimized at the B3LYP/6‐31G* level. The analyses of electronic structures display that the contribution of fullerene cage to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital decreases as the cage size increases. Based on the optimized structures, the time‐dependent density functional theory combined with the sum‐over‐states method was used to investigate their nonlinear optical properties. Calculated third‐order polarizabilities γ and two‐photon absorption (TPA) cross‐section δ do not present the monotone variation with the size of fullerene cage, with largest γ of 0.48 × 10^?34 esu for Sc₃N@C₇₈ in static state, and largest δ of 12.374 GM for Sc₃N@C₇₀ in the wavelength of 902.5 nm. However, the obtained TPA resonant peaks shift red with the size of fullerene cage. By analyzing the electronic origin of the third‐order optical properties, it is found that the charge transfers from the fullerene cage to the encapsulated Sc₃N cluster make important contributions to the studied properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Expanding the Number of Stable Isomeric Structures of the C80 Cage: A New Fullerene Dy3N@C80

The production, isolation, and spectroscopic characterization of a new Dy₃N@C₈₀ cluster fullerene that exhibits three isomers ( 1 – 3 ) is reported for the first time. In addition, the third isomer ( 3 ) forms a completely new C₈₀ cage structure that has not been reported in any endohedral fullerenes so far. The isomeric structures of the Dy₃N@C₈₀ cluster fullerene were analyzed by studying HPLC retention behavior, laser desorption time‐of‐flight (LD‐TOF) mass spectrometry, and UV‐Vis‐NIR and FTIR spectroscopy. The three isomers of Dy₃N@C₈₀ were all large band‐gap (1.51, 1.33, and 1.31 eV for 1 – 3 , respectively) materials, and could be classified as very stable fullerenes. According to results of FTIR spectroscopy, the Dy₃N@C₈₀ (I) ( 1 ) was assigned to the fullerene cage C₈₀:7 (I_h), whereas Dy₃N@C₈₀ (II) ( 2 ) had the cage structure of C₈₀:6 (D_5h). The most probable cage structure of Dy₃N@C₈₀ (III) ( 3 ) was proposed to be C₈₀:1 (D_5d). The significant differences between Dy₃N@C₈₀ and other reported M₃N@C₈₀ (M=Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Ho, Er, Tm) cluster fullerenes are discussed in detail, and the strong influence of the metal on the nitride cluster fullerene formation is concluded.     

Metal Nitride Cluster Fullerene M3N@C80 (M=Y,Sc) Based Dyads: Synthesis,and Electrochemical,Theoretical and Photophysical Studies

The first pyrrolidine and cyclopropane derivatives of the trimetallic nitride templated (TNT) endohedral metallofullerenes I_h‐Sc₃N@C₈₀ and I_h‐Y₃N@C₈₀ connected to an electron‐donor unit (i.e., tetrathiafulvalene, phthalocyanine or ferrocene) were successfully prepared by 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reactions of azomethine ylides and Bingel–Hirsch‐type reactions. Electrochemical studies confirmed the formation of the [6,6] regioisomers for the Y₃N@C₈₀‐based dyads and the [5,6] regioisomers in the case of Sc₃N@C₈₀‐based dyads. Similar to other TNT endohedral metallofullerene systems previously synthesized, irreversible reductive behavior was observed for the [6,6]‐Y₃N@C₈₀‐based dyads, whereas the [5,6]‐Sc₃N@C₈₀‐based dyads exhibited reversible reductive electrochemistry. Density functional calculations were also carried out on these dyads confirming the importance of these structures as electron transfer model systems. Furthermore, photophysical investigations on a ferrocenyl–Sc₃N@C₈₀‐fulleropyrrolidine dyad demonstrated the existence of a photoinduced electron‐transfer process that yields a radical ion pair with a lifetime three times longer than that obtained for the analogous C₆₀ dyad.     

Binuclear Aromatic C−H Bond Activation at a Dirhenium Site

The electronically unsaturated dirhenium complex [Re₂(CO)₈(μ‐H)(μ‐Ph)] ( 1 ) has been found to exhibit aromatic C?H activation upon reaction with N,N‐diethylaniline, naphthalene, and even [D₆]benzene to yield the compounds [Re₂(CO)₈(μ‐H)(μ‐η¹‐NEt₂C₆H₄)] ( 2 ), [Re₂(CO)₈(μ‐H)(μ‐η²‐1,2‐C₁₀H₇)] ( 3 ), and [D₆]‐ 1 , respectively, in good yields. The mechanism has been elucidated by using DFT computational analyses, and involves a binuclear C?H bond‐activation process.