Structures of Gas-Phase (C60)n(CN)m Trianions from Reactions of C60 with NaCN in Solution

Super-electrophiles of tri- and tetra-anions stabilized by selected terminal groups and their role in binding noble gas atoms

Stabilization of multiply-charged atomic clusters in the gas phase has been a topic of great interest not only because of their potential applications as weakly-coordinating anions, but also for their ability to promote unusual reactions and serve as building blocks of materials. Recent experiments have shown that, after removing one terminal ligand from the closo-dodecacyano-borate, B12(CN)122-, the cluster can strongly bind an argon atom at room temperature. Bearing this in mind, here, we have developed more than a dozen highly stable tri- and tetra-anions using density functional theory (DFT) calculations with hybrid functional (B3LYP) and semi-empirical dispersion corrections. The interactions between the clusters and noble gas atoms, including Ne, Ar and Kr, are studied. The resulting super-electrophilic sites embedded in these charged clusters can bind noble gas atoms with binding energies up to 0.7 eV. This study enriches the database of highly-charged clusters and provides a viable design rule for super-electrophiles that can strongly bind noble gas atoms.

Record-high stability and compactness of multiply-charged clusters aided by selected terminal groups

Multiply-charged clusters with compact sizes that are stable in the gas phase are important due to their potential applications as weakly-coordinating ions and building blocks of bulk materials.

Rational Design of Stable Dianions and the Concept of Super-Chalcogens

Super-atoms are homo/heteroatomic clusters that mimic the chemistry of atoms in the periodic table. While a considerable amount of research over the past three decades has revealed many super-atoms that mimic group I (alkali metals) and group 17 (halogens) elements, little effort has been made to identify super-atoms that mimic the chemistry of chalcogens, i.e., those belonging to group 16 elements. This is particularly important as super-chalcogens can form the building blocks of new materials, just as super-alkalis and super-halogens form a variety of super-salts with unique properties. Using first-principles calculations and various electron counting rules, some of which have been prevalent in chemistry for a century, we provide a route to the rational design of dianions that are stable in the gas phase. And unlike the group 16 atoms, these super-chalcogens can retain the second electron without spontaneous electron emission or fragmentation. A new class of super-chalcogenides with unique properties could be formed with these super-chalcogens as building blocks.

Imaging intramolecular coulomb repulsions in multiply charged anions

The properties of multiply charged anions are dominated by intramolecular Coulomb repulsion (ICR). Using photoelectron imaging, we show the effect of ICR on photoelectron angular distributions for a series of dianions, -O2C(CH2)_{n}CO_{2};{-} (D_{n};{2-}). The observed photoemission band of D_{n};{2-} was due to a perpendicular transition from the charged end group. However, photoemission intensities were observed to peak along the laser polarization for smaller n due to the strong ICR that forces electrons to be emitted along the molecular axis. This emission pattern weakens with increasing n and at D112- the angular distribution reverses back to peak at the perpendicular direction due to the reduced ICR.

Photoaddition of N-Substituted Piperazines to C60: An Efficient Approach to the Synthesis of Water-Soluble Fullerene Derivatives

An oxidative radical photoaddition of mono N-substituted piperazines to [60]fullerene was systematically investigated. Reactions of C60 with piperazines bearing bulky electron-withdrawing groups (2-pyridyl, 2-pyrimidinyl) were found to be the most selective and yielded C60(amine)4O as major products along with small amounts of C60(amine)2. In contrast, interactions of fullerene with N-methylpiperazine and N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)piperazine were found to have low selectivity due to different side reactions. Tetraaminofullerene derivative C60(N-(2-pyridyl)piperazine)4O was found to react readily with organic and inorganic acids to yield highly water-soluble salts (solubility approximately 150 mg mL(-1)). In contrast, C60(N-(2-pyrimidinyl)piperazine)4O undergoes hydrolysis under the same conditions and results in a complex mixture of compounds with an average composition of C60(N-(2-pyrimidinyl)piperazine)2(OH)2O. Radical photoaddition of N-(2-pyridyl)piperazine to fullerene derivatives can be used as a facile route for their transformation into water-soluble compounds. Two model fullerene cycloadducts (a methanofullerene and a pyrrolidinofullerene) were easily converted into mixtures of regioisomers of A=C60(N-(2-pyridyl)piperazine)4O (A=cyclic addend) that give highly water-soluble salts under acid treatment.