title: Synthesis and reactivity of N@C60O.
abstract: The endohedral fullerene epoxide N@C60O was synthesised, isolated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), and characterised by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR). This nitrogen radical displays predominantly axial symmetry characteristics as expected for a monoadduct, evidenced by a zero-field splitting D parameter of 6.6 MHz and an E parameter of 0.5 MHz in powder at 77 K. Photo- and thermally-activated silencing of the nitrogen radical were observed, the latter showing the evolution of a new spin signal during heating at 100 degrees C. We suggest that loss of nitrogen spin is due to coupling with a radical formed by opening of the epoxide ring. This implies that the reaction of C60O with C60 in the solid state proceeds via a radical, rather than ionic, intermediate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, Oxford University, Parks Road, Oxford, UK OX1 3PH. mark.jones@materials.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark A G
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Britz
authors.forename: John J L
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: Andrei N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Khlobystov
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Porfyrakis
authors.forename: Arzhang
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardavan
authors.forename: G Andrew D
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Briggs