Theoretical Study of Addition Reactions of L4M(M = Rh, Ir) and L2M(M = Pd, Pt) to Li+@C60

J Phys Chem A. 2017 Apr 6;121(13):2665-2673. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b01086. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Abstract

The addition reaction of M(Cl)(CO)(PPh3)2 (M = Rh, Ir) and M(PPh3)2 (M = Pd, Pt) fragments with X@C60 (X = 0, Li+) were characterized by density functional theory (DFT) and the artificial force-induced reaction (AFIR) method. The calculated free energy profiles suggested that the η2[6:6]-addition is the most favorable reaction, which is consistent with the experimental observations. In the presence of Li+ ion, the reaction is highly exothermic, leading to η2[6:6] product of L4IrLi+@C60. In contrast, an endothermic reaction was observed in the absence of a Li+ ion. The encapsulated Li+ ion can enhance the thermodynamic stability of the η2[6:6] product. The energy decomposition analysis showed that the interaction between metal fragment and X@C60 fragment is the key for the thermodynamic stability. Among the group IA and IIA metal cations, Be2+ encapsulation is the best candidate for the development of new fullerene-transition metal complexes, which will be useful for future potential applications such as solar cells, catalysts, and electronic devices.