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.     

Ab initio SCF and DFT models of met-car adducts: Ti8C12(L)n (L = Cl, NH3, CO, C6H6; N = 4, 8)

The addition of Cl, NH₃, CO, C₆H₆ to Ti₈C₁₂ has been investigated by means of ab initio RHF and DFT calculations. The metallocarbohedrene (met-car) molecule has been modelled as a structure of a tetracapped tetrahedron with T_d symmetry and two distinct metal sites, found to be most stable from previous theoretical investigations. The addition of four molecules to the atoms of the external tetrahedron of metal atoms has been found to be exothermic for all ligands considered. The addition of four extra ligands leading to T₈C₁₂(L)₈ appears easy for L = Cl, and also for L = NH₃. It appears that π-bonding molecules, either non-polar like benzene or weakly polar like CO, have much less affinity for the inner tetrahedron of metal atoms, which makes adducts with eight ligands difficult or impossible to obtain in that case. Those results agree with the recently observed reactivity of met-cars.