Rotational-state selective nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of hydrogen in a molecular trap

NMR of molecular endofullerenes dissolved in a nematic liquid crystal

We report the NMR of the molecular endofullerenes H₂@C₆₀, H₂O@C₆₀ and HF@C₆₀ dissolved in the nematic liquid crystal N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA).

Bulk and Surface Analysis of Carbonaceous Materials

It is difficult to fully characterise the surface chemistry and properties of the complex materials that are carbons. These can range from amorphous-based activated carbons to organised graphene, carbon nanotubes and other forms. However, a combination of techniques, such as, TG supplemented by TGIR, XPS and Boehm titration, bromination with various solid-state NMR methodologies can permit a comprehensive understanding of both their bulk and surface characteristics. The application of these techniques in the characterisation of both the bulk and surface features of carbon-based materials will be presented and discussed ADDIN EN.REFLIST .

Spectroscopy of light-molecule endofullerenes

Molecular endofullerenes are supramolecular systems consisting of fullerene cages encapsulating small molecules. Although most early examples consist of encapsulated metal clusters, recently developed synthetic routes have provided endofullerenes with non-metallic guest molecules in high purity and macroscopic quantities. The encapsulated light molecule behaves as a confined quantum rotor, displaying rotational quantization as well as translational quantization, and a rich coupling between the translational and rotational degrees of freedom. Furthermore, many encapsulated molecules display spin isomerism. Spectroscopies such as inelastic neutron scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy may be used to obtain information on the quantized energy level structure and spin isomerism of the guest molecules. It is also possible to study the influence of the guest molecules on the cages, and to explore the communication between the guest molecules and the molecular environment outside the cage.

Nanolaboratories: physics and chemistry of small-molecule endofullerenes

This Theo Murphy Meeting Issue contains papers presented at a Discussion Meeting held at the Kavli Centre of the Royal Society in March 2012. The meeting brought together a wide variety of scientists working on different aspects of small-molecule endofullerenes--those intriguing chemical systems in which small molecules such as H₂ or H₂O are encapsulated in tiny carbon cages.

Infrared spectroscopy of small-molecule endofullerenes

Hydrogen is one of the few molecules that has been incarcerated in the molecular cage of C₆₀ to form the endohedral supramolecular complex H₂@C₆₀. In this confinement, hydrogen acquires new properties. Its translation motion, within the C₆₀ cavity, becomes quantized, is correlated with its rotation and breaks inversion symmetry that induces infrared (IR) activity of H₂. We apply IR spectroscopy to study the dynamics of hydrogen isotopologues H₂, D₂ and HD incarcerated in C₆₀. The translation and rotation modes appear as side bands to the hydrogen vibration mode in the mid-IR part of the absorption spectrum. Because of the large mass difference of hydrogen and C₆₀ and the high symmetry of C₆₀ the problem is almost identical to a vibrating rotor moving in a three-dimensional spherical potential. We derive potential, rotation, vibration and dipole moment parameters from the analysis of the IR absorption spectra. Our results were used to derive the parameters of a pairwise additive five-dimensional potential energy surface for H₂@C₆₀. The same parameters were used to predict H₂ energies inside C₇₀. We compare the predicted energies and the low-temperature IR absorption spectra of H₂@C₇₀.

Solid-state NMR of endohedral hydrogen–fullerene complexes

We present an overview of solid-state NMR studies of endohedral H(2)-fullerene complexes, including (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra, (1)H and (13)C spin relaxation studies, and the results of (1)H dipole-dipole recoupling experiments. The available data involves three different endohedral H(2)-fullerene complexes, studied over a wide range of temperatures and applied magnetic fields. The symmetry of the cage influences strongly the motionally-averaged nuclear spin interactions of the endohedral H(2) species, as well as its spin relaxation behaviour. In addition, the non-bonding interactions between fullerene cages are influenced by the presence of endohedral hydrogen molecules. The review also presents several pieces of experimental data which are not yet understood, one example being the structured (1)H NMR lineshapes of endohedral H(2) molecules trapped in highly symmetric cages at cryogenic temperatures. This review demonstrates the richness of NMR phenomena displayed by H(2)-fullerene complexes, especially in the cryogenic regime.

Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of Molecular Hydrogen Trapped Inside an Open-Cage Fullerene

Solid-state 1H experiments were performed an open-cage fullerene hosting molecular hydrogen. The anisotropy of the molecular hydrogen rotation was studied by double-quantum magic-angle-spinning NMR. The time scale of the molecular hydrogen rotation was estimated by spin-lattice relaxation measurements as a function of temperature.