DFT calculations on the structural stability and infrared spectroscopy of endohedral metallofullerenes

Endohedral metallofullerenes M@C₂₄ (M = Li^0/+, Na^0/+, K^0/+, Be^0/2+, Mg^0/2+ and Ca^0/2+) with different spin configurations have been systematically investigated using the hybrid DFT-B3PW91 functional in conjunction with 6-31G(d) basis sets. Our theoretical studies show that Li@C₂₄, Be@C₂₄, Be²⁺@C₂₄, and Mg²⁺@C₂₄ are energetically favorable. In these endohedral metallofullerenes, only the encapsulated Be and Ca atoms can donate the electrons to the cage. With exception of Be²⁺@C₂₄, the energy gaps of other charged compounds are larger than that of corresponding neutral compounds. We also find that some endohedral metallofullerenes have high energy gaps, but they are unlikely to show high thermodynamic stability. Additionally, the vibrational frequencies and active infrared intensities are also used as evidence to identify these endohedral metallofullerenes.