Gd3N@C2n (n = 40, 42, and 44): remarkably low HOMO-LUMO gap and unusual electrochemical reversibility of Gd3N@C88 .
High-performance liquid chromatography was used to isolate two new trimetallic nitride endohedral fullerenes, Gd3N@C2n (n = 42 and 44), and they were characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, UV-vis-NIR, and cyclic voltammetry. It was found that their electronic HOMO-LUMO gaps depend pronouncedly on the size of the cage, from a large band gap for Gd3N@C80 (2.02 V) to a small band gap for Gd3N@C88 (1.49 V). The electrochemical properties also change dramatically with the size of the cage, going from irreversible for the C80 cage to reversible for Gd3N@C88. The latter is the largest trimetallic cluster inside C88 isolated and characterized to date. Gd3N@C88 has one of the lowest electrochemical energy gaps for a nonderivatized metallofullerene.
Chaur
Manuel N
MN
Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, USA.
Melin
Frederic
F
Elliott
Bevan
B
Athans
Andreas J
AJ
Walker
Kenneth
K
Holloway
Brian C
BC
Echegoyen
Luis
L