Near-Infrared-Absorbing Chiral Open [60]Fullerenes

Though [60]fullerene is an achiral molecular nanocarbon with I_h symmetry, it could attain an inherent chirality depending upon a functionalization pattern. The conventional chiral induction of C₆₀ relies mainly upon a multiple addition affording a mixture of achiral and chiral isomers while their chiral function would be largely offset by the existence of pseudo-mirror plane(s). These are major obstacles to proceed further study on fullerene chirality and yet leave its understanding elusive. Herein, we showcase a carbene-mediated synthesis of C₁-symmetric chiral open [60]fullerenes showing an intense far-red to near-infrared absorption. The large dissymmetry factor of |g_abs|=0.12 was achieved at λ=820 nm for circular dichroism in benzonitrile. This is, in general, unachievable by other small chiral organic molecules, demonstrating the potential usage of open [60]fullerenes as novel types of chiral chromophores.     

Stereoanalysis of fullerenes with a chiral molecular framework

Stereoanalysis of three fullerene molecules with a chiral molecular framework C₃₂, C₇₆, and C₇₈ and achiral fullerene C₆₀ molecule was carried out. Comparative quantitative analysis of the degree of chirality showed topology to be the major factor governing the chirality of fullerenes. A procedure for determining the relative contribution of topological chirality to the total chirality of the molecule is proposed. Structural fragments responsible for chirality are found. The title fullerenes are assigned to the corresponding subclasses of homochirality. A classification system of isomeric fullerenes is proposed.     

Structural interconnections and the role of heptagonal rings in endohedral trimetallic nitride template fullerenes

Recent experiments indicate that fullerene isomers outside the classical definition can also encapsulate metallic atoms or clusters to form endohedral metallofullerenes. Our systematic study using DFT calculations, suggests that many heptagon‐including nonclassical trimetallic nitride template fullerenes are similar in stability to their classical counterparts, and that conversion between low‐energy nonclassical and classical parent cages via Endo–Kroto insertion/extrusion of C₂ units and Stone–Wales isomerization may facilitate the formation of endohedral trimetallic nitride fullerenes. Close structural connections are found between favored isomers of trimetallic nitride template fullerenes from C₇₈ to C₈₂. It appears that the lower symmetry and local deformations associated with introduction of a heptagonal ring favor encapsulation of intrinsically less symmetrical mixed metal nitride clusters. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Some aspects of the symmetry and topology of possible carbon allotrope structures

Elemental carbon has recently been shown to form molecular polyhedral allotropes known as fullerenes in addition to the familiar graphite and diamond known since antiquity. Such fullerenes contain polyhedral carbon cages in which all vertices have degree 3 and all faces are either pentagons or hexagons. All known fullerenes are found to satisfy the isolated pentagon rule (IPR) in which all pentagonal faces are completely surrounded by hexagons so that no two pentagonal faces share an edge. The smallest fullerene structures satisfying the IPR are the known truncated icosahedral C₆₀ of I _h symmetry and ellipsoidal C₇₀ of D _5h symmetry. The multiple IPR isomers of families of larger fullerenes such as C₇₆, C₇₈, C₈₂ and C₈₄ can be classified into families related by the so-called pyracylene transformation based on the motion of two carbon atoms in a pyracylene unit containing two linked pentagons separated by two hexagons. Larger fullerenes with 3ν vertices can be generated from smaller fullerenes with ν vertices through a so‐called leapfrog transformation consisting of omnicapping followed by dualization. The energy levels of the bonding molecular orbitals of fullerenes having icosahedral symmetry and 60n ² carbon atoms can be approximated by spherical harmonics. If fullerenes are regarded as constructed from carbon networks of positive curvature, the corresponding carbon allotropes constructed from carbon networks of negative curvature are the polymeric schwarzites. The negative curvature in schwarzites is introduced through heptagons or octagons of carbon atoms and the schwarzites are constructed by placing such carbon networks on minimal surfaces with negative Gaussian curvature, particularly the so-called P and D surfaces with local cubic symmetry. The smallest unit cell of a viable schwarzite structure having only hexagons and heptagons contains 168 carbon atoms and is constructed by applying a leapfrog transformation to a genus 3 figure containing 24 heptagons and 56 vertices described by the German mathematician Klein in the 19th century analogous to the construction of the C₆₀ fullerene truncated icosahedron by applying a leapfrog transformation to the regular dodecahedron. Although this C₁₆₈ schwarzite unit cell has local O _h point group symmetry based on the cubic lattice of the D or P surface, its larger permutational symmetry group is the PSL(2,7) group of order 168 analogous to the icosahedral pure rotation group, I, of order 60 of the C₆₀ fullerene considered as the isomorphous PSL(2,5) group. The schwarzites, which are still unknown experimentally, are predicted to be unusually low density forms of elemental carbon because of the pores generated by the infinite periodicity in three dimensions of the underlying minimal surfaces. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Generating functions for the cage isomers of the C20n icosahedral fullerenes

The number of isomeric cages for the C_20n icosahedral fullerenes (Goldberg polyhedra), is given by the coefficient ofn ^–s in the expansion of the Dirichlet generating function (s)L[s, x(3)].When this coefficient is even, the cages occur as chiral pairs of point symmetry I; when odd, there is one structural isomer of point symmetry I _h , and the other isomers, if any, occur as chiral pairs. Asymptotic estimates are given for the number of isomers of each type.     

Temperature‐Responsive Chiral (A)6B Supramolecular Cages Based on Conformational Preferences

Two chiral (A)₆B‐typed supramolecular cages were constructed from hydrogen‐bonded C₆‐symmetric zinc porphyrin hexamers and chiral C₃‐symmetric pyridyl hexadentates with a core of 1,3,5‐triphenylbenzene. Circular dichroism and molecular simulations revealed that the symmetry of the supramolecular cages switched from pseudo‐C_3v to C₃ with the rotational confinement of the biphenyl backbones at low temperatures, which generated conformationally chiral transfer and amplification. This unique phenomenon suggests a new strategy to develop smart materials with high sensitivity and excellent reversibility.     

Tribenzotriquinacene Receptors for C60 Fullerene Rotors: Towards C3 Symmetrical Chiral Stators for Unidirectionally Operating Nanoratchets

The synthesis of a stereochemically pure concave tribenzotriquinacene receptor ( 7 ) for C₆₀ fullerene, possessing C₃ point group symmetry, by threefold condensation of C₂‐symmetric 1,2‐diketone synthons ( 5 ) and a hexaaminotribenzotriquinacene core ( 6 ) is described. The chiral diketone was synthesized in a five‐step reaction sequence starting from C_2h‐symmetric 2,6‐di‐tert‐butylanthracene. The highly diastereo‐discriminating Diels–Alder reaction of 2,6‐di‐tert‐butylanthracene with fumaric acid di(?)menthyl ester, catalyzed by aluminium chloride, is the relevant stereochemistry introducing step. The structure of the fullerene receptor was verified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single crystal X‐ray diffraction. VCD and ECD spectra were recorded, which were corroborated by ab initio DFT calculations, establishing the chiral nature of 7 with about 99.7 % ee, based on the ee (99.9 %) of the chiral synthon ( 1 ). The absolute configuration of 7 could thus be established as all‐S [(2S,7S,16S,21S,30S,35S)‐( 7 )]. Spectroscopic titration experiments reveal that the host forms 1:1 complexes with either pure fullerene (C₆₀) or fullerene derivatives, such as rotor 1′‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐3′‐(4‐N,N‐dimethylaminophenyl)‐pyrazolino[4′,5′:1,2][60]fullerene ( R ). The complex stability constants of the complexes dissolved in CHCl₃/CS₂ (1:1 vol. %) are K([ C₆₀ ? 7 ])=319(±156) M ^?1 and K([ R ? 7 ])=110(±50) M ^?1. With molecular dynamics simulations using a first‐principles parameterized force field the asymmetry of the rotational potential for [ R ? 7 ] was shown, demonstrating the potential suitability of receptor 7 to act as a stator in a unidirectionally operating nanoratchet.     

Chlorination‐Promoted Skeletal‐Cage Transformations of C88 Fullerene by C2 Losses and a CC Bond Rotation

High‐temperature chlorination of fullerene C₈₈ (isomer 33) with VCl₄ gives rise to skeletal transformations affording several nonclassical (NC) fullerene chlorides, C₈₆(NC1)Cl_24/26 and C₈₄(NC2)Cl₂₆, with one and two heptagons, respectively, in the carbon cages. The branched skeletal transformation including C₂ losses as well as a Stone–Wales rearrangement has been comprehensively characterized by the structure determination of two intermediates and three final chlorination products. Quantum‐chemical calculations demonstrate that the average energy of the C?Cl bond is significantly increased in chlorides of nonclassical fullerenes with a large number of chlorinated sites of pentagon–pentagon adjacency.     

Alleno-acetyllenic scaffolding for the construction of axially chiral C60 dimers

The preparation of enantiopure dumbbell-type dimeric fullerenes consisting of two C₆₀ units connected by axially chiral alleno-acetylenic spacers is reported for the first time. As a key step, the attachment of the terminal alkyne moiety of the spacers to C₆₀ was efficiently accomplished by employing an in situ C₆₀-ethynylation methodology. In addition to spectral analyses, single-crystal X-ray crystallographic studies allowed for the unambiguous structural assignment of two C₆₀–alleno-acetylene conjugates. Circular dichroism measurements showed that the axial chirality of the allene moieties linked to the fullerene sphere is able to perturb the intrinsic symmetry of the fullerene π-system. Large characteristic Cotton effects were observed for two bisfullerenes in the 200–350 nm spectral region. UV/Vis absorption spectroscopic studies showed improved molar absorptivity of these dimeric fullerenes, but no strong evidence for a significant through-space electronic communication between the two C₆₀ spheres; electrochemical investigations further confirmed this conclusion.     

Synthesis,Separation, and Characterization of Optically Pure C76 Mono-Adducts

Nucleophilic Bingel cyclopropanation of D₂-C₇₆ with bis[(S)-1-phenylbutyl] 2-bromomalonate in toluene in the presence of base yielded three constitutionally isomeric pairs of diastereoisomeric mono-adducts together with one other constitutional isomer. All seven mono-adducts were isolated in optically pure form by prep. HPLC on a (S,S)-Whelk-O1 chiral stationary phase. They represent the first optically pure adducts of an inherently chiral fullerene. Characterization by UV/VIS, CD, ¹³C- and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy allowed identification of pairs of stereoisomers and symmetry assignments: the two pairs of diastereoisomers which were isolated as the major product possess C₁ symmetry, whereas the third pair of diastereoisomers, which is a minor product, is C₂-symmetrical. The circular dichroism spectra of the optically active C₇₆-adducts showed very pronounced Cotton effects resulting from strong chiroptical contributions of the chiral fullerene chromophore with the maximum observed Δε values being twice as high than those previously measured for optically active adducts of achiral fullerenes with a chiral addition pattern. Whereas the regioselectivity of mono-additions to C₇₀ correlates with the degree of local bond curvature and the regioselectivity of multiple Bingel cyclopropanations of C₆₀ with electronic parameters such as coefficients of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), no such simple predictive correlations exist for the nucleophilic addition to C₇₆. Despite full spectral characterization, an unambiguous structural assignment of the isolated compounds was not possible, except for the two C₂-symmetrical isomers. Based on considerations of local bond curvature and the previous experiences with the chemistry of C₇₀, the structures of the C₂-symmetrical stereoisomers were assigned as (S,S,^fC)- 3 and (S,S,^fA)- 3 , resulting from addition to the polar α-type C(1)? C(6) bond.     

Tunable Fullerene Affinity of Cages,Bowls and Rings Assembled by PdII Coordination Sphere Engineering

For metal-mediated host compounds, the development of strategies to reduce symmetry and introduce multiple functionalities in a non-statistical way is a challenging task. We show that the introduction of steric stress around the coordination environment of square-planar Pd^II cations and bis-monodentate nitrogen donor ligands allows to control the size and shape of the assembled product, from [Pd₂L₄] cages over [Pd₂L₃] bowl-shaped structures to [Pd₂L₂] rings. Therefore, banana-shaped ligand backbones were equipped with pyridines, two different quinoline isomers and acridine, the latter three introducing steric congestion through hydrogen substituents on annelated benzene rings. Differing behavior of the four resulting hosts towards the binding of C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes was studied and related to structural differences by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The three cages based on pyridine, 6-quinoline or 3-quinoline donors were found to either bind C₆₀, C₇₀ or no fullerene at all.     

Electrochemical behavior of fullerene C60 and substituted fullerenes immobilized on an electrode surface

The effect of substituents with different donor capabilities, which are inserted into a molecule of fullerene C₆₀, on the kinetics and thermodynamics of redox conversions of fullerenes that are immobilized on an electrode, is studied for the first time. To this end, redox conversions that occur with rubbed-on films of fullerene and fulleropyrrolidines are studied using cyclic voltammetry in 0.5 M KCl/H₂O and a 0.1 M (C₄H₉)₄NBF₄/AN solution in acetonitrile. A hypothesis that the kinetics of redox conversions occurring with films of individual fullerenes is defined largely by changes in the structure of initial films in the process of their cathodic doping is used. The effect of the substituents is explained in the framework of this hypothesis by a transition from a dense crystalline structure of nonsubstituted fullerene C₆₀ to an amorphous structure of substituted fullerenes. It is demonstrated that the formal potentials corresponding to redox conversions of fullerenes in a solid cationic lipid matrix are defined by the energy of interaction of anions, which are products of reduction of fullerenes, with cations of the matrix. As a result of this interaction, the formal potentials of the process of cathodic doping shift to less negative values. It is established that the insertion of a donor substituent and increase in its donor capability amplify the energy of interaction of the fullerene anions with the lipid cations.     

A Size‐Flexible Organometallic Box for the Encapsulation of Fullerenes

A palladium‐cornered molecular square with four pyrene‐bis(imidazolylidene) bridging ligands is reported. This metallo‐polygon can encapsulate C₆₀ and C₇₀. The X‐ray diffraction structures of the empty cage as well as the cages complexed with both fullerenes are described. The fullerene encapsulation produces perturbations in the structural parameters of the metallo‐square, showing that it can adjust the shape of its cavity to the size of each fullerene.     

C3 Symmetry in Asymmetric Catalysis and Chiral Recognition

Rotational symmetry can be an important factor in the design of highly selective receptors for chiral recognition. This is well known for C₂-symmetric compounds, but the concept can be extended to chiral compounds of higher symmetry such as 1 .     

Topological aspects of metals in carbon cages: Analogies with organometallic chemistry

Metals can interact with carbon cages in the following ways: (1) stable carbon cages (i.e., fullerenes) function as electronegative olefins in their exohedral η₂ bonding to transition metals; (2) endohedral metallofullerenes with a highly electropositive lanthanide (Ln) inside the carbon cage can be considered to be ionic with lanthanide cations, Ln³⁺, and fullerene anions; (3) fullerenes too small for independent existence can be stabilized by internal covalent bonding to an endohedral metal atom using the central carbon atoms of pentagon triplets,i.e triquinacene, units, in complexes such as M@C₂₈ (M=Ti, Zr, Hf, and U), derived from the tetrahedral fullerene C₂₈; (4) metal atoms can occur as vertices of binary mixed metal-carbon cages in both early transition metal complexes of the types M₁₄C₁₃, M₈C₁₂, and M₁₃C₂₂ (e.g., M=Ti) and copper-carbon cages of the types Cu_2n +1C_2n ⁺ (n≤10), Cu₇C₈ ⁺, Cu₉C₁₀ ⁺ and Cu₁₂C₁₂ ⁺. The presence of metal atoms as vertices of carbon cages changes radically their stoichiometries and thus their structures. Thus, early transition metals form cages such as Ti₁₄C₁₃ assumed to have titanium atoms at the vertices and face midpoints of a 3×3×3 cube and carbon atoms at the edge midpoints and center of the cube and Ti₁₃C₂₂ assumed to have titanium atoms at the edge midpoints and center of a 3×3×3 cube as well as C₂ units and carbon atoms at the vertices and face midpoints, respectively, of the cube. Elimination of the face metal atoms from the Ti₁₄C₁₃ structure as well as the center carbon atom, which has been achieved experimentally by photofragmentation, leads to the Ti₈C₁₂ cluster. The structure of this cluster is based on a tetracapped tetrahedron withT _d symmetry with two distinct quartets of titanium atoms, six distinct C₂ pairs, and 36 direct Ti−C interactions. The copper-carbon cages of various stoichiometries are suggested to have prismatic, antiprismatic, or cuboctahedral structures in which the electronic configurations of the copper atoms approach the favored 18-electron rare gas configuration. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 862–869, May, 1998.     

Electrochemical formation and properties of two-component films of transition metal complexes and C60 or C70

The electrochemically active polymers have been formed during electro-reduction carried out in solution containing fullerenes, C₆₀ or C₇₀, and transition metal complexes of Pd(II), Pt(II), Rh(III), and Ir(I). In these films, fullerene moieties are covalently bounded to transition metal atoms (Pd and Pt) or their complexes (Rh and Ir) to form a polymeric network. All films exhibit electrochemical activity at negative potentials due to the fullerene cages reduction process. For all studied metal complexes, yields of formation of films containing C₇₀ are higher than yields of electrodeposition of their C₆₀ analogs. C₇₀ /M films also exhibit higher porosity in comparison to C₆₀/M layers. The differences in film morphology and efficiency of polymer formation are responsible for differences in electrochemical responses of these films in acetonitrile containing supporting electrolyte only. C₇₀/M films shows more reversible voltammeric behavior in negative potential range. They also show higher potential range of electrochemical stability. Processes of film formation and electrochemical properties of polymers depend on the transition metal ions or atoms bonding fullerene cages into polymeric network. The highest efficiency of polymerization was observed for fullerene/Pd and fullerene/Rh films. In the case of fullerene/Pd films, the charge transfer processes related to the fullerene moieties reduction in negative potential range exhibit the best reversibility among all of the studied systems. Capacitance performances of C₆₀/Pd and C₇₀/Pd films deposited on the porous Au/quartz electrode were also compared. Capacitance properties of both films are significantly affected by the conditions of electropolymerization. Only a fraction of the film having a direct contact with solution contributes to pseudocapacitance. Capacitance properties of these films also depend on the size of cations of supporting electrolyte. The C₇₀/Pd film exhibits much better capacitance performance comparison to C₆₀/Pd polymer.     

Stable Non‐IPR C60 and C70 Fullerenes Containing a Uniform Distribution of Pyrenes and Adjacent Pentagons

The most abundant fullerenes, C₆₀ and C₇₀, and all the pure carbon fullerenes larger than C₇₀, follow the isolated‐pentagon rule (IPR). Non‐IPR fullerenes containing adjacent pentagons (APs) have been stabilized experimentally in cases where, according to Euler’s theorem, it is topologically impossible to isolate all the pentagons from each other. Surprisingly, recent experiments have shown that a few endohedral fullerenes, for which IPR structures are possible, are stabilized in non‐IPR cages. We show that, apart from strain, the physical property that governs the relative stabilities of fullerenes is the charge distribution in the cage. This charge distribution is controlled by the number and location of APs and pyrene motifs. We show that, when these motifs are uniformly distributed in the cage and well‐separated from one other, stabilization of non‐IPR endohedral and exohedral derivatives, as well as pure carbon fullerene anions and cations, is the rule, rather than the exception. This suggests that non‐IPR derivatives might be even more common than IPR ones.     

In situ ESR–UV/VIS/NIR spectroelectrochemistry of an empty fullerene anion and cation: The C82:3 isomer

The application of in situ ESR–UV/VIS/NIR spectroelectrochemistry to the highly purified C₈₂:3 fullerene isomer with C₂ symmetry made the detailed characterization of the radical structures formed by electrochemical generation possible. This first comprehensive spectroelectrochemical study of the stable radical anion and cation of an empty cage higher fullerene in acid-free organic electrolyte is a contribution to the general understanding of charged states at endohedral fullerenes.