Marc Garcia-Borràs

The role of aromaticity in determining the molecular structure and reactivity of (endohedral metallo)fullerenes

The encapsulation of metal clusters in endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) takes place in cages that in most cases are far from being the most stable isomer in the corresponding hollow fullerenes. There exist several possible explanations for the choice of the hosting cages in EMFs, although the final reasons are actually not totally well understood. Moreover, the reactivity and regioselectivity of (endohedral metallo)fullerenes have in the past decade been shown to be generally dependent on a number of factors, such as the size of the fullerene cage, the type of cluster that is being encapsulated, and the number of electrons that are transferred formally from the cluster to the fullerene cage. Different rationalizations of the observed trends had been proposed, based on bond lengths, pyramidalization angles, shape and energies of (un)occupied orbitals, deformation energies of the cages, or separation distances between the pentagon rings. Recently, in our group we proposed that the quest for the maximum aromaticity (maximum aromaticity criterion) determines the most suitable hosting carbon cage for a given metallic cluster (i.e. EMF stabilization), including those cases where the IPR rule is not fulfilled. Moreover, we suggested that local aromaticity plays a determining role in the reactivity of EMFs, which can be used as a criterion for understanding and predicting the regioselectivity of different reactions such as Diels-Alder cycloadditions or Bingel-Hirsch reactions. This review highlights different aspects of the aromaticity of fullerenes and EMFs, starting from how this can be measured and ending by how it can be used to rationalize and predict their molecular structure and reactivity.

Sponge-like molecular cage for purification of fullerenes.

Since fullerenes are available in macroscopic quantities from fullerene soot, large efforts have been geared toward designing efficient strategies to obtain highly pure fullerenes, which can be subsequently applied in multiple research fields. Here we present a supramolecular nanocage synthesized by metal-directed self-assembly, which encapsulates fullerenes of different sizes. Direct experimental evidence is provided for the 1:1 encapsulation of C60, C70, C76, C78 and C84, and solid state structures for the host-guest adducts with C60 and C70 have been obtained using X-ray synchrotron radiation. Furthermore, we design a washing-based strategy to exclusively extract pure C60 from a solid sample of cage charged with a mixture of fullerenes. These results showcase an attractive methodology to selectively extract C60 from fullerene mixtures, providing a platform to design tuned cages for selective extraction of higher fullerenes. The solid-phase fullerene encapsulation and liberation represent a twist in host-guest chemistry for molecular nanocage structures.

Electronic and vibrational nonlinear optical properties of five representative electrides

The electrides have a very special electronic structure with diffuse excess electrons not localized on any specific atom. Such systems are known to have huge electronic nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. Here, we determine and analyze the vibrational, as compared to the electronic, NLO properties for a representative set of electrides: Li@Calix, Na@Calix, Li@B10H14, Li2(•+)TCNQ(•-), and Na2(•+)TCNQ(•-). The static and dynamic vibrational (hyper)polarizabilities are computed by the nuclear relaxation method (with field-induced coordinates and the infinite optical frequency approximation) at the UB3LYP level using a hybrid Pople basis set. In general, the static vibrational βvec and γ∥ exceed the corresponding static electronic property values by up to an order of magnitude. The same comparison for dynamic vibrational hyperpolarizabilities shows a smaller ratio. For the intensity-dependent refractive index (IDRI) and dc-Kerr processes, the ratio is on the order of unity or somewhat larger; it is less for the dc-Pockels and the electric field induced second harmonic (EFISH) effects (as well as the static α̅) but still important. The role of anharmonicity, motion of the alkali atoms, and substitution of Na for Li is discussed along with specific aspects of the charge distribution associated with the excess electron.

The Exohedral Diels–Alder Reactivity of the Titanium Carbide Endohedral Metallofullerene Ti2C2@D3h‐C78: Comparison with D3h‐C78 and M3N@D3h‐C78 (M=Sc and Y) Reactivity

The chemical functionalization of endohedral (metallo)fullerenes has become a main focus of research in the last few years. It has been found that the reactivity of endohedral (metallo)fullerenes may be quite different from that of the empty fullerenes. Encapsulated species have an enormous influence on the thermodynamics, kinetics, and regiochemistry of the exohedral addition reactions undergone by these species. A detailed understanding of the changes in chemical reactivity due to incarceration of atoms or clusters of atoms is essential to assist the synthesis of new functionalized endohedral fullerenes with specific properties. Herein, we report the study of the Diels-Alder cycloaddition between 1,3-butadiene and all nonequivalent bonds of the Ti(2)C(2)@D(3h)-C(78) metallic carbide endohedral metallofullerene (EMF) at the BP86/TZP//BP86/DZP level of theory. The results obtained are compared with those found by some of us at the same level of theory for the D(3h)-C(78) free cage and the M(3)N@D(3h)-C(78) (M=Sc and Y) metallic nitride EMFs. It is found that the free cage is more reactive than the Ti(2)C(2)@D(3h)-C(78) EMF and this, in turn, has a higher reactivity than M(3)N@D(3h)-C(78). The results indicate that, for Ti(2)C(2)@D(3h)-C(78), the corannulene-type [5,6] bonds c and f, and the type B [6,6] bond 3 are those thermodynamically and kinetically preferred. In contrast, the D(3h)-C(78) free cage has a preference for addition to the [6,6] 1 and 6 bonds and the [5,6] b bond, whereas M(3)N@D(3h)-C(78) favors additions to the [6,6] 6 (M=Sc) and [5,6] d (M=Y) bonds. The reasons for the regioselectivity found in Ti(2)C(2)@D(3h)-C(78) are discussed.

A Complete Guide on the Influence of Metal Clusters in the Diels–Alder Regioselectivity of Ih‐C80 Endohedral Metallofullerenes

The chemical functionalization of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) has aroused considerable interest due to the possibility of synthesizing new species with potential applications in materials science and medicine. Experimental and theoretical studies on the reactivity of endohedral metallofullerenes are scarce. To improve our understanding of the endohedral metallofullerene reactivity, we have systematically studied with DFT methods the Diels-Alder cycloaddition between s-cis-1,3-butadiene and practically all X@I(h)-C80 EMFs synthesized to date: X=Sc3N, Lu3N, Y3N, La2, Y3, Sc3C2, Sc4C2, Sc3CH, Sc3NC, Sc4O2 and Sc4O3. We have studied both the thermodynamic and kinetic regioselectivity, taking into account the free rotation of the metallic cluster inside the fullerene. This systematic study has been made possible through the use of the frozen cage model (FCM), a computationally cheap approach to accurately predicting the exohedral regioselectivity of cycloaddition reactions in EMFs. Our results show that the EMFs are less reactive than the hollow I(h)-C80 cage. Except for the Y3 cluster, the additions occur predominantly at the [5,6] bond. In many cases, however, a mixture of the two possible regioisomers is predicted. In general, [6,6] addition is favored in EMFs that have a larger charge transfer from the metal cluster to the cage or a voluminous metal cluster inside. The present guide represents the first complete and exhaustive investigation of the reactivity of I(h)-C80-based EMFs.

Electrochemical control of the regioselectivity in the exohedral functionalization of C60: the role of aromaticity

In this work we show that the regioselectivity of the Diels-Alder, 1,3-dipolar, and carbene cycloadditions to C(60) changes from the usual [6,6] addition in neutral species to the [5,6] attack when the number of electrons added to the fullerenic cage increases. Changes in the aromaticity of the five- and six-membered rings of C(60) during the reduction process provide a rationale to understand this regioselectivity change.

Enantiospecific cis-trans isomerization in chiral fulleropyrrolidines: hydrogen-bonding assistance in the carbanion stabilization in H2O@C60.

The stereochemical outcome of cis-trans isomerization of optically pure [60], [70], and endohedral H2O@C60 fulleropyrrolidines reveals that the electronic nature of substituents, fullerene size, and surprisingly the incarcerated water molecule plays a crucial role in this rearrangement process. Theoretical DFT calculations are in very good agreement with the experimental findings. On the basis of the experimental results and computational calculations, a plausible reaction mechanism involving the hydrogen-bonding assistance of the inner water molecule in the carbanion stabilization of endofullerene is proposed.

Self‐Assembled Tetragonal Prismatic Molecular Cage Highly Selective for Anionic π Guests

The metal-directed supramolecular synthetic approach has paved the way for the development of functional nanosized molecules. In this work, we report the preparation of the new nanocapsule 3·(CF(3)SO(3))(8) with a A(4 B(2) tetragonal prismatic geometry, where A corresponds to the dipalladium hexaazamacrocyclic complex Pd-1, and B corresponds to the tetraanionic form of palladium 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (2). The large void space of the inner cavity and the supramolecular affinity for guest molecules towards porphyrin-based hosts converts this nanoscale molecular 3D structure into a good candidate for host-guest chemistry. The interaction between this nanocage and different guest molecules has been studied by means of NMR, UV/Vis, ESI-MS, and DOSY experiments, from which highly selective molecular recognition has been found for anionic, planar-shaped π guests with association constants (K(a)) higher than 10(9) M(-1) , in front of non-interacting aromatic neutral or cationic substrates. DFT theoretical calculations provided insights to further understand this strong interaction. Nanocage 3·(CF(3)SO(3))(8) can not only strongly host one single molecule of M(dithiolene)(2) complexes (M=Au, Pt, Pd, and Ni), but also can finely tune their optical and redox properties. The very simple synthesis of both the supramolecular cage and the building blocks represents a step forward for the development of polyfunctional supramolecular nanovessels, which offer multiple applications as sensors or nanoreactors.

Aromaticity as the driving force for the stability of non-IPR endohedral metallofullerene Bingel–Hirsch adducts

We have studied the relative stabilities of Bingel-Hirsch non-IPR endohedral metallofullerene monoadducts having one, two, or three adjacent pentagon pairs. The most stable addition always leads to an open adduct and never occurs on [5,5] bonds. Our results show that the thermodynamics of the addition is governed by the additive local aromaticity of the rings of the final adducts.

Diels–Alder and Retro‐Diels–Alder Cycloadditions of (1,2,3,4,5‐Pentamethyl)cyclopentadiene to La@C2v‐C82: Regioselectivity and Product Stability

One of the most important reactions in fullerene chemistry is the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction. In two previous experimental studies, the DA cycloaddition reactions of cyclopentadiene (Cp) and 1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadiene (Cp*) with La@C(2v)-C(82) were investigated. The attack of Cp was proposed to occur on bond 19, whereas that of Cp* was confirmed by X-ray analysis to be over bond o. Moreover, the stabilities of the Cp and Cp* adducts were found to be significantly different, that is, the decomposition of La@C(2v)-C(82)Cp was one order of magnitude faster than that of La@C(2v)-C(82)Cp*. Herein, we computationally analyze these DA cycloadditions with two main goals: First, to compute the thermodynamics and kinetics of the cycloadditions of Cp and Cp* to different bonds of La@C(2v)-C(82) to assess and compare the regioselectivity of these two reactions. Second, to understand the origin of the different thermal stabilities of the La@C(82)Cp and La@C(82)Cp* adducts. Our results show that the regioselectivity of the two DA cycloadditions is the same, with preferred attack on bond o. This result corrects the previous assumption of the regioselectivity of the Cp attack that was made based only on the shape of the La@C(82) singly occupied molecular orbital. In addition, we show that the higher stability of the La@C(82)Cp* adduct is not due to the electronic effects of the methyl groups on the Cp ring, as previously suggested, but to higher long-range dispersion interactions in the Cp* case, which enhance the stabilization of the reactant complex, transition state, and products with respect to the separated reactants. This stabilization for the La@C(82)Cp* case decreases the Gibbs reaction energy, thus allowing competition between the direct and retro reactions and making dissociation more difficult.