Donor-acceptor conjugates of lanthanum endohedral metallofullerene and pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene

J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Jun 16;132(23):8048-55. doi: 10.1021/ja100665q.

Abstract

Stable donor-acceptor conjugates (2, 3) involving an endohedral metallofullerene, La(2)@I(h)-C(80), and pi-extended tetrathiafulvalene (exTTF) have been synthesized by highly regioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of exTTF-containing azomethine ylides to the endofullerene, yielding exclusively [5,6] metallofulleropyrrolidines with C(1) symmetry in high yields (68-77%). The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of the conjugates reveal the redox active character of the system due to the presence of both donor and acceptor groups, that is, exTTF and La(2)@I(h)-C(80), respectively. Furthermore, the electrochemically reversible character of the endofullerene confirms the presence of the [5,6] adduct. Despite the relatively close proximity between the exTTF and the endohedral metallofullerene (EMF), only a weak electronic interaction was observed in the ground state, as evidenced by absorption spectroscopy and CV measurements of 2 and 3. On the other hand, in the excited state the fast formation of a radical ion-pair state (i.e., 6.0 x 10(10) s(-1)), that is, the reduction of the electron accepting La(2)@C(80) and the oxidation of exTTF, evolves with lifetimes as long as several ns (3.0 x 10(8) s(-1)) in toluene. Transient absorption spectroscopy experiments confirmed these observations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Azo Compounds / chemistry
  • Electrochemistry
  • Fullerenes / chemistry*
  • Heterocyclic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Lanthanum / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Photolysis
  • Spectrum Analysis
  • Thiosemicarbazones / chemistry

Substances

  • Azo Compounds
  • Fullerenes
  • Heterocyclic Compounds
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Thiosemicarbazones
  • azomethine
  • Lanthanum
  • tetrathiafulvalene