Atoms and Molecules Within Fullerenes

有了这个更新奖，有机和大分子化学项目继续支持博士的工作。康涅狄格州纽黑文耶鲁大学化学系的马丁·桑德斯和詹姆斯·r·克罗斯说。这项工作建立在一个开创性的发现之上，即稀有气体原子和小分子，如N2和CO，可以被困在富勒烯的碳原子笼子里。被困住的原子和分子扰乱了笼子，在某些情况下，为监测笼子外表面发生的化学反应提供了有价值的光谱处理。在这方面特别有用的是3He，因为这种氦的同位素具有1/2的核自旋，可以很容易地通过核磁共振检测到。这些内嵌富勒烯的类型为3He@Cn，其中n=60、70和84。下一阶段的工作重点是利用3He核磁共振跟踪3He@C70和3He@C84同分异构体的分离和纯化。从碳笼中去除氦原子的方法也将被研究，这可能为进一步的化学研究提供一种提供C70和C84富勒烯纯异构体的方法。这些pi已经与其他使用新化合物的人开展了大量的合作研究工作，以研究它们的化学性质和潜在应用，范围从地球化学到医学。

With this renewal award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program continues its support for the work of Drs. Martin Saunders and James R. Cross of the Department of Chemistry at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The work builds on the seminal discovery that noble gas atoms, and small molecules like N2 and CO, can be trapped inside the carbon atom cages of fullerenes. The trapped atoms and molecules perturb the cages, and in some cases provide valuable spectroscopic handles for monitoring chemical reactions occuring on the outside faces of the cages. Particularly useful in this regard has been trapped 3He, since this isotope of helium has a nuclear spin of 1/2 and can be readily detected by NMR. These endohedral fullerenes are of the type 3He@Cn, where n=60, 70, and 84. Work during the next period will focus on using 3He nuclear magnetic resonance to follow the separation and purification of the isomers of 3He@C70 and 3He@C84. Methods for removal of the helium atom from the carbon cages will also be investigated, potentially providing a way to supply pure isomers of the C70 and C84 fullerenes for further chemical studies. The PIs have initiated a large number of collaborative research efforts with others who are using the new compounds to investigate their chemistry and potential applications, which range from geochemistry to medicine.