Ziyang Liu

Detection of a Family of Gadolinium-Containing Endohedral Fullerenes and the Isolation and Crystallographic Characterization of One Member as a Metal−Carbide Encapsulated inside a Large Fullerene Cage

A series of di-gadolinium endohedrals that extends from Gd(2)C(90) to Gd(2)C(124) has been detected by mass spectrometry of the o-dichlorobenzene extract of the carbon soot produced by direct current arcing of graphite rods filled with a mixture of Gd(2)O(3) and graphite powder. Chromatographic separation has led to the isolation of pure samples of two isomers of Gd(2)C(94) and the complete series from Gd(2)C(96) to Gd(2)C(106). Endohedral fullerenes of the type M(2)C(2n) can exist as the conventional endohedral, M(2)@C(2n), or as the carbide-containing endohedral, M(2)C(2)@C(2n-2). Crystallographic characterization of the more rapidly eluting isomer of Gd(2)C(94) reveals that it possesses the carbide structure, Gd(2)C(2)@D(3)(85)-C(92). Computational studies suggest that the more slowly eluting isomer of Gd(2)C(94) may be a conventional endohedral, Gd(2)@C(2)(121)-C(94).

Isolation of a Small Carbon Nanotube: The Surprising Appearance of D5h(1)‐C90

have become well-known; however, thecarbon soot from arc generators contains small amounts(generally less than 1%) of higher fullerenes. The isolation ofthese higher fullerenes in isomerically pure form is challeng-ing, especially since the number of isomers that follow theisolated-pentagon rule (IPR) increases as the size of thefullerene cage expands.

Very Large, Soluble Endohedral Fullerenes in the Series La2C90 to La2C138: Isolation and Crystallographic Characterization of La2@D5(450)-C100

An extensive series of soluble dilanthanum endohedral fullerenes that extends from La(2)C(90) to La(2)C(138) has been discovered. The most abundant of these, the nanotubular La(2)@D(5)(450)-C(100), has been isolated in pure form and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

Isolation and Crystallographic Identification of Four Isomers of Sm@C90

Four isomers with the composition SmC(90) were obtained from carbon soot produced by electric arc vaporization of carbon rods doped with Sm(2)O(3). These were labeled Sm@C(90)(I), Sm@C(90)(II), Sm@C(90)(III), and Sm@C(90)(IV) in order of their elution times during chromatography on a Buckyprep column with toluene as the eluent. Analysis of the structures by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on cocrystals formed with Ni(octaethylporphyrin) reveals the identities of the individual isomers as follows: I, Sm@C(2)(40)-C(90); II, Sm@C(2)(42)-C(90); III, Sm@C(2v)(46)-C(90) and IV, Sm@C(2)(45)-C(90). This is the most extensive series of isomers of any endohedral fullerene to have their individual structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The cage structures of these four isomers can be related pairwise to one another in a formal sense through sequential Stone-Wales transformations.

X-ray Crystallographic Characterization of New Soluble Endohedral Fullerenes Utilizing the Popular C82 Bucky Cage. Isolation and Structural Characterization of Sm@C3v(7)-C82, Sm@Cs(6)-C82, and Sm@C2(5)-C82

Three isomers of Sm@C(82) that are soluble in organic solvents were obtained from the carbon soot produced by vaporization of hollow carbon rods doped with Sm(2)O(3)/graphite powder in an electric arc. These isomers were numbered as Sm@C(82)(I), Sm@C(82)(II), and Sm@C(82)(III) in order of their elution times from HPLC chromatography on a Buckyprep column with toluene as the eluent. The identities of isomers, Sm@C(82)(I) as Sm@C(s)(6)-C(82), Sm@C(82)(II) as Sm@C(3v)(7)-C(82), and Sm@C(82)(III) as Sm@C(2)(5)-C(82), were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on cocrystals formed with Ni(octaethylporphyrin). For endohedral fullerenes like La@C(82), which have three electrons transferred to the cage to produce the M(3+)@(C(82))(3-) electronic distribution, generally only two soluble isomers (e.g., La@C(2v)(9)-C(82) (major) and La@C(s)(6)-C(82) (minor)) are observed. In contrast, with samarium, which generates the M(2+)@(C(82))(2-) electronic distribution, five soluble isomers of Sm@C(82) have been detected, three in this study, the other two in two related prior studies. The structures of the four Sm@C(82) isomers that are currently established are Sm@C(2)(5)-C(82), Sm@C(s)(6)-C(82), Sm@C(3v)(7)-C(82), and Sm@C(2v)(9)-C(82). All of these isomers obey the isolated pentagon rule (IPR) and are sequentially interconvertable through Stone-Wales transformations.

Large Endohedral Fullerenes Containing Two Metal Ions, Sm2@D2(35)-C88, Sm2@C1(21)-C90, and Sm2@D3(85)-C92, and Their Relationship to Endohedral Fullerenes Containing Two Gadolinium Ions

The carbon soot obtained by electric arc vaporization of carbon rods doped with Sm(2)O(3) contains a series of monometallic endohedral fullerenes, Sm@C(2n), along with smaller quantities of the dimetallic endohedrals Sm(2)@C(2n) with n = 44, 45, 46, and the previously described Sm(2)@D(3d)(822)-C(104). The compounds Sm(2)@C(2n) with n = 44, 45, 46 were purified by high pressure liquid chromatography on several different columns. For endohedral fullerenes that contain two metal atoms, there are two structural possibilities: a normal dimetallofullerene, M(2)@C(2n), or a metal carbide, M(2)(μ-C(2))@C(2n-2). For structural analysis, the individual Sm(2)@C(2n) endohedral fullerenes were cocrystallized with Ni(octaethylporphyrin), and the products were examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These data identified the three new endohedrals as normal dimetallofullerenes and not as carbides: Sm(2)@D(2)(35)-C(88), Sm(2)@C(1)(21)-C(90), and Sm(2)@D(3)(85)-C(92). All four of the known Sm(2)@C(2n) endohedral fullerenes have cages that obey the isolated pentagon rule (IPR). As the cage size expands in this series, so do the distances between the variously disordered samarium atoms. Since the UV/vis/NIR spectra of Sm(2)@D(2)(35)-C(88) and Sm(2)@C(1)(21)-C(90) are very similar to those of Gd(2)C(90) and Gd(2)C(92), we conclude that Gd(2)C(90) and Gd(2)C(92) are the carbides Gd(2)(μ-C(2))@D(2)(35)-C(88) and Gd(2)(μ-C(2))@C(1)(21)-C(90), respectively.

Isolation of Three Isomers of Sm@C84 and X-ray Crystallographic Characterization of Sm@D3d(19)-C84 and Sm@C2(13)-C84

Three isomers with the composition Sm@C(84) were isolated from carbon soot obtained by electric arc vaporization of carbon rods doped with Sm(2)O(3). These isomers were labeled Sm@C(84)(I), Sm@C(84)(II), and Sm@C(84)(III) in order of their elution times during chromatography on a Buckyprep column with toluene as the eluent. Analysis of the structures by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on cocrystals formed with Ni(II)(octaethylporphyrin) reveals the identities of two of the isomers: Sm@C(84)(I) is Sm@C(2)(13)-C(84), and Sm@C(84)(III) is Sm@ D(3d)(19)-C(84). Sm@C(84)(II) can be identified as Sm@C(2)(11)-C(84) on the basis of the similarity of its UV/vis/NIR spectrum with that of Yb@C(2)(11)-C(84), whose carbon cage has been characterized by (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Comparison of the three Sm@C(84) isomers identified in this project with two prior reports of the preparation and isolation of isomers of Sm@C(84) indicate that five different Sm@C(84) isomers have been found and that the source of samarium used for the generation of fullerene soot is important in determining which of these isomers form.

Isolation and Structural Characterization of Two Very Large, and Largely Empty, Endohedral Fullerenes: Tm@C3v-C94 and Ca@C3v-C94

The structures of two newly synthesized endohedral fullerenes, Tm@C(3v)-C(94) and Ca@C(3v)-C(94), have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction on samples cocrystallized with Ni(II)(octaethylporphyrin). Both compounds exhibit the same cage geometry and conform to the isolated pentagon rule (IPR). The metal ions within these rather large cages are localized near one end and along the C(3) axis. While the calcium ion is situated over a C-C bond at a 6:6 ring junction, the thulium ion is positioned above a six-membered ring of the fullerene.

Single Samarium Atoms in Large Fullerene Cages. Characterization of Two Isomers of Sm@C92 and Four Isomers of Sm@C94 with the X-ray Crystallographic Identification of Sm@C1(42)-C92, Sm@Cs(24)-C92, and Sm@C3v(134)-C94

Two isomers of Sm@C(92) and four isomers of Sm@C(94) were isolated from carbon soot obtained by electric arc vaporization of carbon rods doped with Sm(2)O(3). Analysis of the structures by single-crystal X-ray diffraction on cocrystals formed with Ni(II)(octaethylporphyrin) reveals the identities of two of the Sm@C(92) isomers: Sm@C(92)(I), which is the more abundant isomer, is Sm@C(1)(42)-C(92), and Sm@C(92)(II) is Sm@C(s)(24)-C(92). The structure of the most abundant form of the four isomers of Sm@C(94), Sm@C(94)(I), is Sm@C(3v)(134)-C(94), which utilizes the same cage isomer as the previously known Ca@C(3v)(134)-C(94) and Tm@C(3v)(134)-C(94). All of the structurally characterized isomers obey the isolated pentagon rule. While the four Sm@C(90) and five isomers of Sm@C(84) belong to common isomerization maps that allow these isomers to be interconverted through Stone-Wales transformations, Sm@C(1)(42)-C(92) and Sm@C(s)(24)-C(92) are not related to each other by any set of Stone-Wales transformations. UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and computational studies indicate that Sm@C(1)(42)-C(92) is more stable than Sm@C(s)(24)-C(92) but possesses a smaller HOMO-LUMO gap. While the electronic structures of these endohedrals can be formally described as Sm(2+)@C(2n)(2-), the net charge transferred to the cage is less than two due to some back-donation of electrons from π orbitals of the cage to the metal ion.

Structural similarities in C(s)(16)-C86 and C(2)(17)-C86.

We report an analysis of the similar structures of C(s)(16)-C(86) and C(2)(17)-C(86) from a single crystal X-ray diffraction study of C(s)(16)/C(2)(17)-C(86) x (nickel octaethylporphyrin) x 2toluene.