Fullerene C₇₀ as a Nanoflask that Reveals the Chemical Reactivity of Atomic Nitrogen

Abstract

To investigate the intrinsic reactivity of atomic nitrogen, which had previously been accomplished only by examining its decay in the gas phase using special equipment, a nitrogen atom was inserted into a series of molecule-encapsulating C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes. Among the studied endofullerenes, H₂ @C₇₀ was able to encapsulate an additional nitrogen atom within the fullerene cage under radiofrequency plasma conditions. The product was analyzed by ESR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry in solution, which revealed that the nitrogen atom with a quartet ground state does not react but weakly interact with the H₂ molecule, thus demonstrating the utility of such fullerenes as "nanoflasks".