title: A pseudoatom in a cage: trimetallofullerene Y(3)@C(80) mimics y(3)n@c(80) with nitrogen substituted by a pseudoatom.
abstract: Y(3)C(80) obtained in the synthesis of nitride clusterfullerenes Y(3)N@C(2n) (2n = 80-88) by the reactive atmosphere method is found to be a genuine trimetallofullerene, Y(3)@C(80), with low ionization potential and divalent state of yttrium atoms. DFT studies of the electronic structure of Y(3)@C(80) show that this molecule mimics Y(3)N@C(80) with the pseudoatom (PA) instead of the nitrogen atom. Topology analysis of the electron density and electron localization function show that yttrium atoms form Y-PA bonds rather than direct Y-Y bonds. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the Y(3)PA cluster is as rigid as Y(3)N and rotates inside the fullerene cage as a single entity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrochemistry and Conducting Polymers, Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, D-01171 Dresden, Germany. a.popov@ifw-dresden.de
authors.forename: Alexey A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Popov
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dunsch