Six IPR isomers of C90 fullerene captured as chlorides: carbon cage connectivities and chlorination patterns

Three C(90) fractions were isolated by multi-step HPLC from fullerene soot obtained from direct current (DC) arc discharge of undoped graphite rods. C(90) of each fraction was chlorinated with VCl(4) or SbCl(5) in ampoules at 290-310 °C, affording a series of C(90)Cl(n) compounds. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography with the use of synchrotron radiation resulted in structure elucidation of seven C(90)Cl(n) compounds containing six different isolated pentagon rule (IPR) C(90) cages (the number of the C(90) isomer is given in the parentheses): C(90)(46)Cl(32) (I), C(90)(34)Cl(32) (II), C(90)(35)Cl(24) (III), and C(90)(35)Cl(28) (IV), C(90)(32)Cl(24) (V as co-crystals with III), co-crystals of C(90)(30)Cl(22) and C(90)(28)Cl(24) (VI), and C(90)(28)Cl(24) (VII). Cage connectivities of C(90) isomers 35 and 28 have been crystallographically confirmed for the first time. The chlorination patterns of the C(90)Cl(n) molecules are discussed in terms of the formation of isolated aromatic systems and isolated C=C double bonds on the fullerene cage. The distribution of six C(90) isomers in three HPLC fractions is compared with data from the literature.     

Spectroscopic and theoretical study of endohedral dimetallofullerene having a non-IPR fullerene cage: Ce2@C72

The endohedral dimetallofullerene having a non-IPR fullerene cage, Ce2@C72, is spectroscopically and theoretically characterized. The (13)C NMR measurements display large temperature-dependent signals caused by paramagnetic shifts, indicating that the Ce atoms are located near the two fused pentagons in the C72 cage. Theoretical calculations are performed to clarify the metal position, which are in good agreement with the result obtained by the paramagnetic (13)C NMR analysis. Electrochemical measurements reveal that Ce2@C72 has particularly lower oxidation and higher reduction potentials than other endohedral dimetallofullerenes.     

Deformation and thermodynamic instability of a C84 fullerene cage

Quantum chemical calculations of electronic and geometric structures were performed for molecules of 24 isomers of C₈₄ fullerenes obeying the isolated pentagons rule. The reasons for the instability of isomers not obtained experimentally were established, and the possibility of obtaining some of them was proven. It was shown that the deformation of hexagons and pentagons is the most important geometric parameter directly connected with the thermodynamic instability of fullerenes having closed shells, reflecting the local strain of the molecules.     

Cytotoxicity of doxorubicin conjugated with C60 fullerene. Structural and in vitro studies

Structural Chemistry - Conjugating an anticancer drug of high biological efficacy but large cytotoxicity with a “transporting” molecule of low toxicity constitutes a valuable approach...     

Assigning the major isomers of fullerene C88 by theoretical 13C NMR spectra

The IPR isomers of fullerene C₈₈ have been studied using density functional theory. Structures of all C₈₈ isomers with non-zero HOMO–LUMO gaps were optimized at the B3LYP/STO-3G level. Those isomers having energies lower than 25 kcal/mol were subjected to geometry optimization using the 6-31G basis set. Isomer 17 has the lowest energy, followed by 7 and 33. All three isomers have large HOMO–LUMO gaps. ¹³C NMR chemical shifts were obtained employing the GIAO method. The comparison between predicted and measured NMR spectra strongly supports the observed C₈₈-1(C_s) as isomer 17, and isomers C₈₈-2(C₂) and C₈₈-3(C₂) as 7 and 33, respectively.     

Theoretical study of highly doped heterofullerenes evolved from the smallest fullerene cage

Structural Chemistry - The structural stabilities and electronic properties of C12X8 heterofullerenes where X = B, Al, Ga, C, Si, Ge, N, P, and As are probed at the...     

The role of an asymmetric nitride cluster on a fullerene cage: the non-IPR endohedral DySc2N@C76

The first non-IPR C(76) cage based on a mixed metal nitride cluster, DySc(2)N@C(76), was successfully synthesized and isolated. DySc(2)N@C(76) is a stable fullerene with a small band gap of 0.96 eV. According to the FTIR spectroscopic study in combination with extensive DFT calculations, the cage structure of DySc(2)N@C(76) has been assigned to the non-IPR C(s): 17490-I isomer having two pairs of the adjacent pentagons. DySc(2)N@C(76)provides the first example of stabilization of the non-IPR C(76) cage by encapsulation of an asymmetric DySc(2)N mixed cluster, revealing the role of the cluster structure on the stability of the fullerene cage. As the asymmetric DySc(2)N cluster has a more suitable geometry for the inner space of the C(76) cage compared to that of the homogeneous clusters like Sc(3)N or Dy(3)N, the highest yield for C(76)-based cluster fullerenes with the Dy(x)Sc(3)-(x)N mixed nitride cluster is achieved for the DySc(2)N@C(76)     

Structural features of benzylic carbanions. A theoretical study

Benzylic anions were studied with the semiempirical MNDO molecular orbital method. Structural changes were analyzed as metal counterions and solvents were allowed to interact with the benzylic carbon. Generally, benzylic carbanions were found to be trigonal planar but became pyramidal or bent when metals were included in the calculation.     

The negative differential resistance mechanism of a molecular device based on double‐cage fluorinated fullerene C20F18(NH)2C20F18: A theoretical study

The electronic transport properties of the molecular device based on double‐cage fluorinated fullerene C₂₀F₁₈(NH)₂C₂₀F₁₈ were studied theoretically. The results show that the device exhibits two negative differential resistance (NDR) peaks in its I‐V curve. The NDR peak under low bias voltage originates from the bias‐induced alignment of the molecular orbitals, and the conduction channel being suppressed at a certain bias voltage is the main reason for the NDR peak under a relatively high bias voltage.     

Toward a reversible isolation of a C20 fullerene inside a tetraureacalix[4]arene dimer. A theoretical study

The potential stabilization of normally unstable C20, the smallest fullerene, via its encapsulation inside a tetraureacalix[4]arene dimer has been analyzed using molecular mechanics calculations with different force fields, the self-consistent-charge density-functional tight-binding with dispersion correction (SCC-DFTB-D) model, and standard density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations. The interaction energies obtained for the C20 complex have been compared with analogous values calculated for numerous complexes of the tetraureacalix[4]arene dimer with other guests. Results of the calculations with all force fields and SCC-DFTB-D predict that the binding of C20 occurs with the highest selectivity. On the other hand, standard DFT calculations fail to correctly describe the stabilization of the complexes under study as standard DFT generally does not treat dispersion interactions properly. Predicted relative stabilities of the complexes are discussed in conjunction with available experimental data. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the instability of the guest-free capsular dimer, which decomposes on a 1-ns time scale, while dimeric complexes with guests remained intact during the 5-ns simulation time, indicating the guest-driven formation of the molecular capsule.     

Synthesis and transformations of metallacycles. 23. Cp2TiCl2-Catalyzed cyclometallation of fullerene C60 with EtAlCl2

1-Ethyl-2,3-fullerenoaluminacyclopropanes (EtAl)_n(²-C₆₀) were synthesized by the reaction of fullerene C₆₀ with an excess of EtAlCl₂ in the presence of Mg and using Cp₂TiCl₂ as the catalyst in a THF--toluene solution at 20 °C. Deuterolysis of fullerenoaluminacyclopropanes afforded a mixture of deuteriofullerenes C₆₀D_m, where m = 6--12.     

Theoretical studies of growth mechanism of small fullerene cage C24 (D6d)+

The ring‐collapse mechanism of C₂₄ (D_6d) has been analyzed using semiempirical AM1 and B3LYP/cc‐pVDZ methods. Based on the ring‐stacking/circumscribing model, two precursors are selected. Transition states and intermediates are located and energetics are computed. Before the stacking begins, the precursor and belt reach a suitable relative orientation accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy. It is observed that the reactions between the precursors and the belts are essentially endoergic in nature, whereas the reactions between the stable intermediates and the final belts are exoergic. The deformation energies (DE) and the bond lengths R of the precursors have been computed. The DE values suggest that there is a chance of the cleavage of the bicyclic precursors as the growth process proceeds toward the cage formation. In contrast, the monocyclic precursor is found to have lower deformation energies than the bicyclic precursor. Analysis of average bond length at different cages shows that a large window is formed and the system appears to follow a cascade‐type bond formation. Comparisons are made to our previous results on C₂₈ growth. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Photoelectron spectroscopy of fullerene dianions C76(2-), C78(2-), and C84(2-)

We report laser photoelectron spectra of the doubly negatively charged fullerenes C(76) (2-), C(78) (2-), and C(84) (2-) at 2.33, 3.49, and 4.66 eV photon energy. From these spectra, second electron affinities and vertical detachment energies, as well as estimates for the repulsive Coulomb barriers are obtained. These results are discussed in the context of electrostatic models. They reveal that fullerenes are similar to conducting spheres, with electronic properties scaling with their size. The experimental spectra are compared with the accessible excited states of the respective singly charged product ions calculated in the framework of time dependent density functional theory.     

Discovery of singlet diradicals: theoretical study on the cage species C14N12-H6 and its six derivatives

In this work, the geometries, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and high-energy density material (HEDM) properties of a novel species and its six derivatives with the general formula C14N12-R6 (R = H, OH, F, CN, N3, NH2, and NO2) have been investigated at the restricted and unrestricted B3LYP/cc-pVDZ levels of theory. Natural bond orbital (NBO), natural orbital (NO), and atoms in molecules (AIM) analyses are applied to examine their electronic topologies. It is found that for the four species of R = H, CN, N3, and NO2, (1) there exist high LUMO occupation numbers, (2) there is considerable spin density congregated on the two central carbon atoms, (3) there exists through space interaction (or intramolecular interaction, which is one of the stabilizing factors of a diradicaloid) between the two central carbon atoms, (4) the distance (about 3 A) between the two central carbon atoms (as the apexes of two trigonal pyramids with their bases facing each other) is suitable and favorable for diradical formation. All the results support that these four species are diradicals or diradicaloids. Furthermore, the appreciable singlet-triplet energy gaps indicate that these four diradicals tend to have a singlet ground state. There is a moderate HOMO-LUMO gap (on the order of 1.5 to 2.1 eV) for these four species. These four singlet diradicals may be novel organic semiconductor materials or nonlinear optical materials. On the other hand, the remaining three species, with R = OH, F, and NH2, are not diradicaloids.     

Experimental and theoretical analysis of the reorientational dynamics of fullerene C70 in various aromatic solvents

A previous study of C70 in deuterated chlorobenzene generated evidence suggesting C70 was experiencing unique reorientational behavior at given temperatures. The present study explores the possibility that this behavior is present across other solvents. The 13C spin-lattice relaxation rates for four carbon resonances in C70 were analyzed in benzene-d6, chlorobenzene-d5, and o-dichlorobenzene-d4, and as a function of temperature, to probe the reorientational dynamics of this fullerene. Anisotropic behavior was observed at the lowest (283 K) and highest temperatures (323 K), isotropic diffusion was seen between 293 and 303 K, and quasi-isotropic at 313 K. When anisotropic motion was present, diffusion about the figure axis was seen to be higher than diffusion of the figure axis. Experimentally obtained diffusion coefficients generated reorientational correlation times that were in excellent agreement with experimental values. Theoretical predictions generated by a modified Gierer-Wirtz model provided acceptable predictions of the diffusion constants; with DX usually being more closely reproduced and DZ values generally being underestimated. Overall, the results indicate that the factors affecting rotational behavior are complex and that multiple solvent factors are necessary to characterize the overall motion of C70 in these solvents. Although a solvent's viscosity is normally sufficient to characterize the tumbling motion, the spinning motion is less sensitive to solvent viscosity but more responsive to solvent structure. The balance and collective influence of these factors ultimately determines the overall rotational behavior.     

Structural study of the self-assembled fullerene carboxylates: monoadducts versus bisadducts

Laser light scattering and transmission electronic microscopy have been used to study the self-assembled structures of mono- and bisadducts of fullerene carboxylic acids in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and their sodium salts in aqueous solutions, respectively. In THF, the self-association of monoadducts of fullerene carboxylic acid (MFCA) produces large but narrowly distributed particles with R(h) approximately 145 nm. The self-aggregates from the bisadducts of fullerene carboxylic acid (BFCA) in THF are relatively small in size (R(h) approximately 80 nm) due to the better solubility. After the ionization of carboxylic acid groups on the C(60) cage in dilute NaOH solutions, these aggregates dissolved and reorganized. The self-assembly of the monoadducts of sodium carboxylate fullerenes (MSCF) produces small solid spherical particles with R(h) approximately 32 nm. The ratio of R(g)/R(h) approximately 0.83 indicates that the particles have a nearly uniform density. The increase in concentrations leads to strong interparticle associations to form rodlike and irregularly shaped large aggregates. In contrast, the self-assembly of bisadducts of sodium carboxylate fullerenes (BSCF) results in hollow shells with mainly two different size scales of R(h) approximately 23 nm and R(h) approximately 104 nm. At high concentrations, the hollow shells associate and melt together to generate three-dimensional networks.