C₇₄ endohedral metallofullerenes violating the isolated pentagon rule: a density functional theory study.
Precise studies on M(2)@C(74) (M = Sc, La) series by means of DFT methods have disclosed that certain non-IPR isomers are more stable than the IPR structure. M(2)@C(2)(13295)-C(74) and M(2)@C(2)(13333)-C(74), both of which have two pentagon adjacencies (PA), present excellent thermodynamic stability with very small energy differences. Statistical mechanics calculations on the M(2)@C(74) series reveal that M(2)@C(2)(13295)-C(74) and M(2)@C(2)(13333)-C(74) are quite favoured by entropy effects below 3000 K. Sc(2)@C(74) and La(2)@C(74) series are found to have similar electronic transfer but different electronic structures due to the distinct properties of scandium and lanthanum elements according to Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis in conjunction with orbital interaction diagrams. Investigations of bonding energies reflect quite different influences of the two types of metal atoms to C(74) metallo-fullerenes. Further examinations on C(74) metallo-fullerenes uncover significant stabilization effects of metal atoms acting on PA fragments. Geometrical structures of certain non-IPR cages (from C(72) to C(76)), which exhibit splendid stabilities when encapsulating metallo-clusters, are found to be related by Stone-Wales transformation and C(2) addition. Furthermore, IR spectra and (13)C NMR spectra of M(2)@C(2)(13295)-C(74) and M(2)@C(2)(13333)-C(74) have been simulated to assist further experimental characterization.
Institute for Chemical Physics and Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Hong
H
Zheng
Xiang
X
Zhao
Ting
T
Ren
Wei-Wei
WW
Wang