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.     

新型内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯的合成、结构与性质

内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯的发现极大地扩展了内嵌富勒烯家族。内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯是一类新型的内嵌富勒烯,其内嵌物为由2-3种不同的金属组成的氮化物原子簇。本文首先介绍了新型内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯的发现、合成和分离方法,并对目前所分离出来的内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯进行了分类。然后总结了目前所报导的内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯的结构表征手段,对于不同的内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯的分子结构分别进行了阐述。最后着重讨论了内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯的特殊电子性质以及物理和化学性质。本文还对内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯潜在的应用前景作了展望,在内嵌具有不同物理性质的两到三种金属原子的基础上,所形成的内嵌混合金属氮化物原子簇富勒烯有可能兼具不同金属原子各自的性质,从而成为多功能综合的功能材料。     

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.     

Magnetic endohedral transition-metal-doped semiconducting-nanoclusters

Endohedral first-row transition-metal-doped TM@Zn(i)S(i) nanoclusters, in which TM stands for the first-row transition-metals from Sc to Zn, and i=12, 16, have been characterized. In these structures the dopant metals are trapped inside spheroidal hollow semiconducting nanoclusters. It is observed that some of the transition metals are trapped in the center of mass of the cluster, whereas others are found to be displaced from that center, leading to structures in which the transition metals display a complex dynamical behavior upon encapsulation. This fact was confirmed by quantum molecular dynamics calculations, which further confirmed the thermal stability of endohedral compounds. In the endohedrally-doped nanoclusters in which the transition-metal atom sits on the center of mass, the host hollow cluster structure remains undistorted after dopant encapsulation. Conversely, if the encapsulated transition-metal atom is displaced from the center of mass, the host hollow cluster structure suffers a very tiny distortion. Additionally, it is found that there is negligible charge transfer between the dopant transition-metal atom and its hollow cluster host and, after encapsulation, the spin densities remain localized on the transition-metal atom. This allows for the atomic-like behavior of the trapped transition-metal atom, which gives rise to their atomic-like magnetic properties. The encapsulation free energies are negative, suggesting that these compounds are thermodynamically stable.     

内嵌富勒烯的研究进展

内嵌富勒烯由于其结构新颖以及独特而优异的性质在国际上引起持续而广泛的关注,成为近年来的研究热点之一.目前已经研究发现的内嵌富勒烯多达近百种,从惰性气体到碱土金属再到稀土元素都已被成功地嵌入到不同尺寸的碳笼中.其中金属离子或含金属的离子簇内嵌入富勒烯碳笼形成的内嵌金属富勒烯,以其种类丰富、结构多样成为内嵌富勒烯的主要研究对象.本文就近年来研究报道的种类繁多的内嵌富勒烯按其内嵌物类型进行归纳阐述,为今后开发更多新型的内嵌富勒烯提供一定的参考.     

The problem of fullerenes. The chemical aspect

The preparation, structure, and reactivity of the family of polyhedral carbon clusters, novel allotropes of carbon, are reviewed.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 10–19, January, 1993.     

Chemistry of fullerenes, novel allotropic modifications of carbon

The currently available data on the structure and reactivity of fullerenes, including the formation of metal complexes (including optically active ones) with fullerenes as ligands, are briefly surveyed. The properties and reactions of fullerenyl radicals and endohedral complexes are considered. The review is based on the report of the same name delivered at the XVI Mendeleev Congress (May 28, 1988, St. Petersburg). Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1211–1218, July, 1999.     

Piperazine Functionalization of C70 for Incorporation into Supramolecular Assemblies

The photochemical reaction of piperazine with C₇₀ produces a mono‐adduct (N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀) in high yield (67 %) along with three bis‐adducts. These piperazine adducts can combine with various Lewis acids to form crystalline supramolecular aggregates suitable for X‐ray diffraction. The structure of the mono‐adduct was determined from examination of the adduct I₂N(CH₂CH₂)₂NI₂C₇₀ that was formed by reaction of N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀ with I₂. Crystals of polymeric {Rh₂(O₂CCF₃)₄N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀}_n?nC₆H₆ that formed from reaction of the mono‐adduct with Rh₂(O₂CCF₃)₄ contain a sinusoidal strand of alternating molecules of N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀ and Rh₂(O₂CCF₃)₄ connected through Rh?N bonds. Silver nitrate reacts with N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀ to form black crystals of {(Ag(NO₃))₄(N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀)₄}_n?7nCH₂Cl₂ that contain parallel, nearly linear chains of alternating (N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀ molecules and silver ions. Four of these {Ag(NO₃)N(CH₂CH₂)₂NC₇₀}_n chains adopt a structure that resembles a columnar micelle with the ionic silver nitrate portion in the center and the nearly non‐polar C₇₀ cages encircling that core. Of the three bis‐adducts, one was definitively identified through crystallization in the presence of I₂ as ¹²{N(CH₂CH₂)₂N}₂C₇₀ with addends on opposite poles of the C₇₀ cage and a structure with C_2v symmetry. In ¹²{I₂N(CH₂CH₂)₂N}₂C₇₀, individual ¹²{I₂N(CH₂CH₂)₂N}₂C₇₀ units are further connected by secondary I2???N2 interactions to form chains that occur in layers within the crystal. Halogen bond formation between a Lewis base such as a tertiary amine and I₂ is suggested as a method to produce ordered crystals with complex supramolecular structures from substances that are otherwise difficult to crystallize.     

Lanthanum endohedral metallofulleropyrrolidines: synthesis, isolation, and EPR characterization

Lanthanum endohedral metallofulleropyrrolidines have been synthesized for the first time through addition of an azomethine ylide to La@C(82)-A in toluene. It was found that the addition reaction is very efficient and, to some extent, regioselective. Two major endohedral metallofulleropyrrolidines, a monoadduct and a bisadduct of La@C(82)-A with abundance ratio of approximately 1:0.4, have been isolated by HPLC chromatography and characterized by mass spectrometry, UV/Vis-NIR absorption, and EPR spectroscopy. The electronic structure of La@C(82)-A has been modified slightly upon monoaddition and significantly upon bisaddition of the pyrrolidines.     

小富勒烯研究进展

对近年来C20,C24,C28,C32,C36,C40,C44和C50等小富勒烯及其内嵌、加成和取代衍生物的实验和理论研究进展进行了回顾,并对目前理论研究的热点C2n(n=26~29)进行了讨论.     

Theoretical studies of structures and stabilities of endohedral fullerenes X0/n+ @C32 (X = H,Li, Na,K, Be,Mg, Ca,B, Al,C, Si,N, P,n = 1–3)

Based on the D₃ C₃₂ fullerene, the equilibrium geometries, electronic structures, and binding energies of the endohedral fullerenes X^0/n+@C₃₂ (X = H, Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, B, Al, C, Si, N, P, n = 1–3) have been calculated using the DFT/B3LYP/6‐31G(d) method. The results show that the C₃₂ cages are slightly enlarged due to encapsulation, and the sizes of non‐neutral molecules are smaller than the corresponding neutral ones. Cages containing Li, Na, and Ca and most of the cations, except Na⁺ and K⁺, are energetically favorable. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Thermal plasma synthesis of transition metal nitrides and alloys

Applications of arc plasma processing to high-temperature chemistry of Group V nitrides and Si and Ge alloys are studied. The transition metal nitrides -VN, -NbN, and -TaN are directly synthesized in a dc argon-nitrogen plasma from powders of the metals. A large excess of N₂ is required to form stoichiometric -VN, while the Nb and Ta can only be synthesized with a substoichiometric N content. In a dc argon plasma the alloys V₃Si, VSi₂, NbSi₂, NbGe₂, Cr₃Si, and Mo₃Si are obtained from powder mixtures of the corresponding elements. The compounds are identified by x-ray diffraction patterns and particle shape and size are studied by electron microscopy.