Preparation, Structural Determination, and Characterization of Electronic Properties of [5,6]- and [6,6]-Carbosilylated Sc3 N@Ih -C80

Chem Asian J. 2017 Jun 19;12(12):1391-1399. doi: 10.1002/asia.201700506. Epub 2017 May 26.

Abstract

Photochemical carbosilylation of Sc3 N@Ih -C80 with silirane 1 afforded two corresponding [5,6]-adducts, 2 and 3, and a [6,6]-adduct, 4. The structural and electronic properties of these products were characterized by means of spectroscopic, electrochemical, and theoretical methods. The structure of 2 was disclosed by means of single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Thermal isomerization of 3 to 2 was observed, whereas that of 2 to 3 proceeded less efficiently at 100 °C. Upon heating under the same conditions, adduct 4 underwent facile decomposition to afford Sc3 N@Ih -C80 , or isomerized into small amounts of 2 and 3. The relative stabilities of 2, 3, and 4 were rationalized through the results of theoretical calculations. In contrast, adducts 2, 3, and 4 were stable under the photolytic conditions employed for carbosilylation. The photochemical functionalization of Sc3 N@Ih -C80 represents a convenient synthetic method to obtain thermally labile fullerene-based products.

Keywords: carbosilylation; cluster compounds; fullerenes; photochemistry; redox chemistry.