Lutetium-based Trimetallic Nitride Endohedral Metallofullerenes: New Contrast Agents

Abstract

We report the isolation and characterization of an endohedral metallofullerene encapsulating three lanthanide atoms inside a nanoscale C80 cage, Lu3N@C80. In addition, we also report encapsulated mixed-metal species of gadolinium/lutetium and holmium/lutetium, Lu3-xAxN@C80 (x = 0−2), which may prove useful as multifunctional contrast agents for X-ray, MRI, and radiopharmaceuticals.