Facile Access to Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2n</sub> (2n = 92-130) and Crystallographic Characterization of Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>@C<sub>1</sub>(1660)-C<sub>108</sub>: A Giant Nanocapsule with a Linear Carbide Cluster.

Pan, Changwang; Bao, Lipiao; Yu, Xianyong; Fang, Hongyun; Xie, Yunpeng; Akasaka, Takeshi; Lu, Xing · ACS Nano · 2018

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

A series of giant metallofullerenes Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2n</sub> (2n = 92-130) have been successfully obtained through the treatment of the fraction enriched by 1,2-dichlorobenzene with SnCl<sub>4</sub>. Subsequent chromatographic separation gives a pure sample with a composition of Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>110</sub>. Crystallographic results reveal that this endohedral takes the carbide form, namely Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>@C<sub>1</sub>(1660)-C<sub>108</sub>, representing as the largest metallofullerene that has been characterized by crystallography to date. Despite the disorder of the metal cluster, the major Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub> adopts a previously predicted linear configuration, indicating that the compression of the internal cluster by the cage is almost negligible in this giant cage. Electrochemical studies suggest that Y<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub>@C<sub>1</sub>(1660)-C<sub>108</sub> is a good electron donor instead of an electron acceptor.