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.     

First Isomers of Pristine C104 Fullerene Structurally Confirmed as Chlorides,C104(258)Cl16 and C104(812)Cl24

Isolation and characterization of very large fullerenes is hampered by a drastic decrease of their content in fullerene soot with increasing fullerene size and a simultaneous increase of the number of possible IPR (Isolated Pentagon Rule) isomers. In the present work, fractions containing mixtures of C₁₀₂ and C₁₀₄ were isolated in very small quantities (several dozens of micrograms) by multi‐step recycling HPLC from an arc‐discharge fullerene soot. Two such fractions were used for chlorination with a VCl₄/SbCl₅ mixture in glass ampoules at 350–360 °C. The resulting chlorides were investigated by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. By this means, two IPR isomers of C₁₀₄, numbers 258 and 812 (of 823 topologically possible isomers), have been confirmed for the first time as chlorides, C₁‐C₁₀₄(258)Cl₁₆ and D₂‐C₁₀₄(812)Cl₂₄, respectively, while an admixture of C₂‐C₁₀₄(811)Cl₂₄ was assumed to be present in the latter chloride. DFT calculations showed that pristine C₁₀₄(812) belongs to rather stable C₁₀₄ cages, whereas C₁₀₄(258) is much less stable.     

Chlorination of Two Isomers of C86 Fullerene: Molecular Structures of C86(16)Cl16, C86(17)Cl18, C86(17)Cl20, and C86(17)Cl22

Chlorination of a mixture of C₈₆ isomers no. 16 (C_s) and no. 17 (C₂) with VCl₄ or a (TiCl₄+Br₂) mixture afforded crystalline chlorides with 16 to 22 Cl atoms per fullerene cage. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction with the use of synchrotron radiation enabled us to determine the chlorination patterns of C₈₆(16)Cl₁₆, C₈₆(17)Cl₁₈, C₈₆(17)Cl₂₀, and C₈₆(17)Cl₂₂. At these degrees of chlorination, addition patterns of C₈₆(16) and C₈₆(17) chlorides have some features in common, owing to the close similarity in the cage structures of both isomers. The average energy of C?Cl bonds decreases with increasing number of attached Cl atoms.     

Vibrational structure of endohedral fullerene Sc3N@C78 (D3h'): evidence for a strong coupling between the Sc3N cluster and C78 cage.

The vibrational structure of the endohedral cluster fullerene Sc(3)N@C(78) is studied by FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and DFT-based quantum chemical calculations. Remarkably good agreement between experimental and calculated spectra is achieved and a full assignment of the Sc(3)N-based vibrational modes is given. Significant differences in the vibrational structure of the endohedral cluster fullerene Sc(3)N@C(78) and the empty, charged C(78) (6-): 5 (D(3h)') are rationalized by the strong coupling between the Sc(3)N cluster and the fullerene cage. This coupling has its origin in a significant overlap of the Sc(3)N and C(78) molecular orbitals, and causes atomic-charge and bond-length redistributions compared to the neutral C(78) and the C(78) (6-) anion. An ionic model is not sufficient to describe the electronic, geometric and vibrational structure of the Sc(3)N@C(78) nitride cluster fullerene.     

ESR‐Vis/NIR Spectroelectrochemical Study of C70(CF3)2−. and C70(C2F5)2−. Radical Anions

A spectroelectrochemical study of the two isostructural asymmetric perfluoroalkyl derivatives C₁‐7,24‐C₇₀(CF₃)₂ and C₁‐7,24‐C₇₀(C₂F₅)₂ is presented. Reversible formation of their stable monoanion radicals is monitored by cyclic voltammetry and by in situ ESR‐Vis‐NIR spectroelectrochemistry. The ESR spectrum of the C₇₀(CF₃)₂^?. radical is a 1:3:3:1 quartet with a ¹⁹F hyperfine coupling constant (a(F)) of 0.323(4) G, demonstrating that the unpaired spin is coupled to only one of the two CF₃ groups. The ¹³C satellites are assigned to specific carbon atoms. The ESR spectrum of the C₇₀(C₂F₅)₂^?. radical is an apparent octet with an apparent a(F) value of 0.83(2) G. DFT calculations suggest that this pattern is due to the superposition of spectra for four nearly isoenergetic C₇₀(C₂F₅)₂^?. conformers. Time‐dependent DFT calculations suggest that the NIR band at 1090 nm exhibited by both C₇₀(R_f)₂^?. radical anions is assigned to the SOMO→LUMO+3 transition. The analogous NIR band exhibited by the closed‐shell C₇₀(CF₃)₂^2? dianion was blue‐shifted to 1000 nm.     

Structures, IR, NMR Spectra and Thermodynamics Properties of Halogenated Compounds X-1-ZB11H10 (Z=O, S, Se;X=F, Cl, Br): A DFT Study

The halogenated compounds of twelve‐vertex closo‐1‐ZB₁₁H₁₁(Z=O, S, Se; X=F, Cl, Br) have unusual stability. The structures of halogenated isomers obtained by DFT method indicate that the halogen atoms are more likely to attack the meta vertexes. The chemical thermodynamic properties show that the halogenations are spontaneous and exothermic. The result that both the optimized and experimental cages of closo‐thiaborane have not changed after chlorination indicates that the substitution of a chlorine atom for a hydrogen atom of closo‐thiaborane happens at outer of the cage. The calculated electronic structures show that the three‐dimensioned aromaticity of cage would like positive chlorine atoms to attack. The halogenations by elemental halogen in the presence of metal halides were proved to belong to the electrophilic substitutions and the mechanism was discussed in details. The suggested transition state interpreted the experiments. The thermal rearrangement which was supposed early according to experiments was verified by the thermodynamic properties of chlorination theoretically. The IR and ¹¹B/¹H NMR isotropic chemical shifts were calculated and compared with the experimental data to reconfirm the structures of chlorinated closo‐thiaborane. Furthermore, the predictions on the halogenated closo‐oxaborane and closo‐selenaborane are significant for the syntheses.     

Understanding the Reactivity of Endohedral Metallofullerenes: C78 versus Sc3N@C78

The physical factors behind the reduced Diels–Alder reactivity of the Sc₃N@C₇₈ metallofullerene as compared with free C₇₈ have been investigated in detail by means of computational tools. To this end, the reactions between 1,3‐butadiene and free C₇₈ and endohedral Sc₃N@C₇₈ have been analysed in terms of regioselectivity and reactivity by using the activation strain model of reactivity in combination with the energy decomposition analysis method. Additional factors such as the molecular orbital overlap or the aromaticity of the corresponding transition states have been also explored. Our results indicate that the lower reactivity of the metallofullerene finds its origin mainly in the less stabilizing interaction between the deformed reactants along the reaction coordinate induced by the triscandium nitride moiety.     

Computational study of structures and properties of metallaboranes: cobalt bis(dicarbollide)

A density functional study at the BP86/AE1 level is presented for the cobalt bis(dicarbollide) ion [3-Co-(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- (1) and selected isomers and rotamers thereof. Rotation of the two dicarbollide moieties with respect to each other is facile, as judged by the small energetic separation of the three rotamers located (within 11 kJ mol(-1)) and by the low barriers for their interconversion (at most 41 kJ mol(-1)). Among the isomers differing in carbon atom positions that contain two equivalent dicarbollide ligands, the 1,7 ("carbon apart") form [2-Co-(1,7-C2B9H11)2]- is the most stable, 121 kJ mol(-1) below 1. The electronic structure of 1 is characterized in terms of molecular orbitals, population analysis, and excitation energies from time-dependent density functional theory, relevant to UV/Vis spectroscopy. Experimental 11B NMR chemical shifts of 1 are reproduced to better than 5 ppm at the GIAO-B3LYP/II' level, and the computed delta(11B) values are only little affected by rotational averaging or the presence of a polarizable continuum. Larger such effects are found for the as-yet unknown 59Co chemical shift, for which a value in the range between -1800 and -2400 ppm is predicted. Even though the accuracy achieved for the theoretical delta(11B) values is somewhat lower than that for heteroboranes at conventional ab initio levels, the level of density functional employed can afford qualitatively reliable chemical shifts, which can be useful in assignments and structural refinements of heteroboranes containing transition metal.     

Energetic stability and electronic properties of exohedral derivatives of C20: C20Xn (X = H,F, Cl; n = 1–4)

Exohedral derivatives of the smallest fullerene, C₂₀, with the general formula of C₂₀X_n (X = H, F, Cl; n = 1–4) have been systematically investigated to evaluate the energetic stability of these molecular structures and determine their respective electronic properties. Analysis of the theoretical results indicate that the addition of exohedral atoms increase the stability of the caged‐structure to varying degrees according to the predicted HOMO‐LUMO gaps, ionization energies, and electron affinities. Further support for increasing stability is deduced from the calculated reaction and binding energies of the exohedral atoms. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.