Ever since the first experimental evidence of the existence of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) was obtained, the search for carbon cages with encapsulated metals and small molecules has become a very active field of research. EMFs exhibit unique electronic and structural features, with potential applications in many fields. Furthermore, functionalized EMFs offer additional potential applications because of their higher solubility and their ease of characterization by X-ray crystallography and other techniques. Herein we review the general field of EMFs, particularly of functionalized EMFs. We also address their structures and their (electrochemical) properties, as well as applications of these fascinating compounds.

The first pyrrolidine adduct on Sc(3)N@C(80) was synthesized and fully characterized. Addition of the N-ethylazomethine ylide occurs regioselectively on a [5,6] double bond on the surface of the icosahedral symmetry Sc(3)N@C(80), exactly in the same position as that described previously for a Diels-Alder adduct of the same compound.(11a,b) This addition pattern results in symmetric pyrrolidine carbons and unsymmetric geminal hydrogens on the pyrrolidine ring, as confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, especially by HMQC. The shielding environment experienced by these geminal hydrogens differs by 1.26 ppm, indicative of pronounced ring current effects on the surface of this endohedral fullerene. This represents the first fully characterized pyrrolidine adduct on an endohedral metallofullerene.

Aromatic triazoles have been frequently used as π-conjugated linkers in intramolecular electron transfer processes. To gain a deeper understanding of the electron mediating function of triazoles, we have synthesized a family of new triazole-based electron donor-acceptor conjugates. We have connected porphyrins and fullerenes through a central triazole moiety – (ZnP-Tri-C60) – each with a single change in their connection through the linker. An extensive photophysical and computational investigation reveals that the electron transfer dynamics – charge separation and charge recombination – in the different ZnP-Tri-C60 conjugates reflect a significant influence of the connectivity at the triazole linker. Except for m4m-ZnP-Tri-C60 17, the conjugates exhibit through-bond electron transfer with varying rate constants. Since the through-bond distance is nearly equal in the ZnP-Tri-C60 conjugates, the variation in charge separation and charge recombination dynamics is mainly associated with the electronic properties of the conjugates, including orbital energies, electron affinity, and the energies of the excited states. The changes of the electronic couplings are, in turn, a consequence of the different connectivity patterns at the triazole moieties.

Sensitizers with high triplet quantum yields are useful for generating photovoltaics, photocatalysts and photodynamic therapy agents with increased efficiency. In this study, the heavy atom effect was used to optimize the triplet and singlet oxygen quantum yields of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carbomethoxyphenyl)porphyrin (1-TCM4PP). The triplet quantum yields, determined using delayed fluorescence, was calculated as 0.35 for 1-TCM4PP, 0.75 for 5,10,15-tris(4-carbomethoxyphenyl)-20-(4-bromophenyl)porphyrin (2-TBCM3PP) and 0.88 for 5,10,15-tris(4-carbomethoxyphenyl)-20-(4-iodophenyl)porphyrin (3-TCM3IPP). Chemical quenching of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran and singlet oxygen emission studies rendered an average singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.51, 0.75, and 0.90 for TCM4PP, TBCM3PP and TCM3IPP respectively. These photophysical properties indicate that a single halogen atom is capable of transforming TCM4PP into a sensitizer with strong triplet character. This is useful for generating singlet oxygen for photodynamic therapy, creating a long lasting reactive species for catalysis and for extending diffusion lengths in photovoltaic applications while retaining three molecular modification points for further functionalization.