A Stable, Soluble, and Crystalline Supramolecular System with a Triplet Ground State

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 56; no. 15; pp. 4261 - 4265
• Main Authors: Futagoishi, Tsukasa, Aharen, Tomoko, Kato, Tatsuhisa, Kato, Azusa, Ihara, Toshiyuki, Tada, Tomofumi, Murata, Michihisa, Wakamiya, Atsushi, Kageyama, Hiroshi, Kanemitsu, Yoshihiko, Murata, Yasujiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 03.04.2017
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Crystals; Dehydrogenation; Encapsulation; EPR spectroscopy; Fullerenes; open-cage C60; oxygen; structure elucidation; supramolecular chemistry; Supramolecular compounds; X-ray diffraction; X-rays; structure elucidation; oxygen; supramolecular chemistry; EPR spectroscopy; open-cage C60
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201701212

A supramolecular complex was constructed by encapsulation of a 3O2 molecule inside an open‐cage C60 derivative. Its single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of the 3O2 at the center of the fullerene cage. The CV measurements suggested that unprecedented dehydrogenation was promoted by the encapsulated 3O2 after two‐electron reduction. The ESR measurements displayed the triplet character as well as the anisotropy of the 3O2. Additionally, the SQUID measurements also demonstrated the paramagnetic behavior above 3 K without an antiferromagnetic transition. Upon photoirradiation with visible light, three phosphorescent bands at the NIR region were observed, arising from the exited 1O2 generated by self‐sensitization with the outer cage, whose lifetimes were not affected by the environments. These studies confirmed that the complex is a crystalline triplet system with incompatible “high spin density” but “small interspin interaction” properties. Triplet character: A supramolecular complex was synthesized by the encapsulation of a 3O2 molecule inside an open‐cage C60 derivative. The electronic, magnetic, and photophysical measurements revealed that the supramolecular complex is a stable, soluble, and crystalline triplet system with incompatible “high spin density” but “small interspin interaction” properties.