Caged Buckyball

Buckyballs are known to enclose small molecules, but now C₆₀ itself has been completely enveloped, in this case by an inorganic fullerene-like molecular shell (J. Am. Chem. Soc., DOI: 10.1021/ja075926m). Manfred Scheer at the University of Regensburg, in Germany, and colleagues created the supramolecular cover (core structure shown) from pentaphosphaferrocene and copper(I) chloride building blocks (C = gray, Cu = blue, Cl = green, Fe = orange, P = purple; H atoms omitted). The outer diameter of the spherical shell is 2.3 nm. The researchers noticed a relatively strong electronic interaction between the C₆₀ and the encapsulating molecule, and on the basis of the complex's black color, they expect interesting conductivity properties. Scheer says the discovery opens up novel prospects for self-assembled processes involving encapsulation. The team plans to extend the concept to C₇₀, substituted fullerenes, and other molecules.