Vibrational properties of noble gas endohedral fullerenes

Synthesis and 83Kr NMR spectroscopy of Kr@C60

Synthesis of Kr@C₆₀ is achieved by quantitative high-pressure encapsulation of the noble gas into an open-fullerene, and subsequent cage closure. Krypton is the largest noble gas entrapped in C₆₀ using 'molecular surgery' and Kr@C₆₀ is prepared with >99.4% incorporation of the endohedral atom, in ca. 4% yield from C₆₀. Encapsulation in C₆₀ causes a shift of the ⁸³Kr resonance by -39.5 ppm with respect to free ⁸³Kr in solution. The ⁸³Kr spin-lattice relaxation time T₁ is approximately 36 times longer for Kr encapsulated in C₆₀ than for free Kr in solution. This is the first characterisation of a stable Kr compound by ⁸³Kr NMR.

Experimental determination of the interaction potential between a helium atom and the interior surface of a C60 fullerene molecule

The interactions between atoms and molecules may be described by a potential energy function of the nuclear coordinates. Nonbonded interactions between neutral atoms or molecules are dominated by repulsive forces at a short range and attractive dispersion forces at a medium range. Experimental data on the detailed interaction potentials for nonbonded interatomic and intermolecular forces are scarce. Here, we use terahertz spectroscopy and inelastic neutron scattering to determine the potential energy function for the nonbonded interaction between single He atoms and encapsulating C₆₀ fullerene cages in the helium endofullerenes ³He@C₆₀ and ⁴He@C₆₀, synthesized by molecular surgery techniques. The experimentally derived potential is compared to estimates from quantum chemistry calculations and from sums of empirical two-body potentials.

Synergic effects between boron and nitrogen atoms in BN-codoped C59-n BN n fullerenes (n = 1-3) for metal-free reduction of greenhouse N2O gas

The geometries, electronic structures, and catalytic properties of BN-codoped fullerenes C_59−nBN_n (n = 1–3) are studied using first-principles computations. The results showed that BN-codoping can significantly modify the properties of C₆₀ fullerene by breaking local charge neutrality and creating active sites. The codoping of B and N enhances the formation energy of fullerenes, indicating that the synergistic effects of these atoms helps to stabilize the C_59−nBN_n structures. The stepwise addition of N atoms around the B atom improves catalytic activities of C_59−nBN_n in N₂O reduction. The reduction of N₂O over C₅₈BN and C₅₇BN₂ begins with its chemisorption on the B–C bond of the fullerene, followed by the concerted interaction of CO with N₂O and the release of N₂. The resulting OCO intermediate is subsequently transformed into a CO₂ molecule, which is weakly adsorbed on the B atom of the fullerene. On the contrary, nitrogen-rich C₅₆BN₃ fullerene is found to decompose N₂O into N₂ and O* species without the requirement for activation energy. The CO molecule then removes the O* species with a low activation barrier. The activation barrier of the N₂O reduction on C₅₆BN₃ fullerene is just 0.28 eV, which is lower than that of noble metals.

The synergic effects between B and N atoms make C₅₇BN₂ and C₅₆BN₃ highly active catalysts for reduction of greenhouse N₂O gas.

Synthesis of Ar@C60 using molecular surgery

Synthesis of Ar@C60 is described, using a route in which high-pressure argon filling of an open-fullerene and photochemical desulfinylation are the key steps for >95% encapsulation of the noble gas. Enrichment by recycling HPLC leads to quantitative incorporation of argon in the product endofullerene, with a mass recovery of tens of milligrams, allowing the first characterisation of fine structure in the solution 13C NMR spectrum.

A Solid-State Intramolecular Wittig Reaction Enables Efficient Synthesis of Endofullerenes Including Ne@C60 , 3 He@C60 , and HD@C60

An open‐cage fullerene incorporating phosphorous ylid and carbonyl group moieties on the rim of the orifice can be filled with gases (H₂, He, Ne) in the solid state, and the cage opening then contracted in situ by raising the temperature to complete an intramolecular Wittig reaction, trapping the atom or molecule inside. Known transformations complete conversion of the product fullerene to C₆₀ containing the endohedral species. As well as providing an improved synthesis of large quantities of ⁴He@C₆₀, H₂@C₆₀, and D₂@C₆₀, the method allows the efficient incorporation of expensive gases such as HD and ³He, to prepare HD@C₆₀ and ³He@C₆₀. The method also enables the first synthesis of Ne@C₆₀ by molecular surgery, and its characterization by crystallography and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.

Fine structure in the solution state 13C-NMR spectrum of C60 and its endofullerene derivatives

The ¹³C NMR spectrum of fullerene C₆₀ in solution displays two small "side peaks" on the shielding side of the main ¹³C peak, with integrated intensities of 1.63% and 0.81% of the main peak. The two side peaks are shifted by -12.6 ppb and -20.0 ppb with respect to the main peak. The side peaks are also observed in the ¹³C NMR spectra of endofullerenes, but with slightly different shifts relative to the main peak. We ascribe the small additional peaks to minor isotopomers of C₆₀ containing two adjacent ¹³C nuclei. The shifts of the additional peaks are due to a secondary isotope shift of the ¹³C resonance caused by the substitution of a ¹²C neighbour by ¹³C. Two peaks are observed since the C₆₀ structure contains two different classes of carbon-carbon bonds with different vibrational characteristics. The 2 : 1 ratio of the side peak intensities is consistent with the known structure of C₆₀. The origin and intensities of the ¹³C side peaks are discussed, together with an analysis of the ¹³C solution NMR spectrum of a ¹³C-enriched sample of C₆₀, which displays a relatively broad ¹³C NMR peak due to a statistical distribution of ¹³C isotopes. The spectrum of ¹³C-enriched C₆₀ is analyzed by a Monte Carlo simulation technique, using a theorem for the second moment of the NMR spectrum generated by J-coupled spin clusters.

Spin density transfer from guest to host in endohedral heterofullerene dimers

The endohedral heterofullerenes (B@C₅₉B)₂, (B@C₅₉N)₂, (N@C₅₉B)₂ and (B@C₅₉N–N@C₅₉B) are investigated using dispersion corrected density functional theory.

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation on the formation process of He@C₆₀ synthesized by explosion

The applications of endohedral non-metallic fullerenes are limited by their low production rate. Recently, an explosive method developed in our group shows promise to prepare He@C₆₀ at fairly high yield, but the mechanism of He inserting into C₆₀ cage at explosive conditions was not clear. Here, ab initio molecular dynamics analysis has been used to simulate the collision between C₆₀ molecules at high-temperature and high-pressure induced by explosion. The results show that defects formed on the fullerene cage by collidsion can effectively decrease the reaction barrier for the insertion of He into C₆₀, and the self-healing capability of the defects was also observed.