This paper summarizes the new results on the petrogenesis of Mesozoic granitoids and volcanic rocks in South China. The authors propose that these rocks were formed in time and space as a response to regional tectonic regime change from the continent-continent collision of the Indosinian orogeny within the broad Tethyan orogenic domain in the Early Mesozoic (T 1-T 3) (Period I) to the largely extensional setting as a result of the Yanshanian orogeny genetically associated with the NW-WNW-ward subduction of the paleo-Pacific oceanic lithosphere in the Late Mesozoic (J 2-K 2) (Period II). Of the Period I Indosinian granitoids, the early (T 1-T 2 1) ones are syn-collisional, and formed in a compressional setting; the late (T 2 2-T 3) ones are latecollisional, and formed in a locally extensional environment. During the Period II Yanshanian magmatism, the Early Yanshanian (J 2-J 3) granitoid-volcanic rocks, which are distributed mainly in the Nanling Range and in the interior of the South China tectonic block (SCB), are characteristic of rift-type intraplate magmatism, whereas the Late Yanshanian K 1 granitoid-volcanic rocks are interpreted as genetically representing active continental margin magmatism. The K 2 tholeiitic basalts interlayered with red beds are interpreted as genetically associated with the development of back-arc extensional basins in the interior of the SCB. The Yanshanian granitoid-volcanic rocks are distributed widely in South China, reflecting extensional tectonics within much of the SCB. The extension-induced deep crustal melting and underplating of mantle-derived basaltic melts are suggested as the two principal driving mechanisms for the Yanshanian granitic magmatism in South China.

Although most of the MC-type metallofullerenes (EMFs) tend to form carbide cluster EMFs, we report herein that Lu-containing EMFs LuC (2n = 82, 84, 86) are actually dimetallofullerenes (di-EMFs), namely, Lu@C(6)-C, Lu@C(8)-C, Lu@D(23)-C, and Lu@C(9)-C. Unambiguous X-ray results demonstrate the formation of a Lu-Lu single bond between two lutetium ions which transfers four electrons in total to the fullerene cages, thus resulting in a formal divalent state for each Lu ion. Population analysis indicates that each Lu atom formally donates a 5d electron and a 6s electron to the cage with the remaining 6s electron shared with the other Lu atom to form a Lu-Lu single bond so that only four electrons are transferred to the fullerene cages with the formal divalent valence for each lutetium ion. Accordingly, we confirmed both experimentally and theoretically that the dominating formation of di-EMFs is thermodynamically very favorable for LuC isomers.

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Lu2C2n (2n = 76–90): the decisive size effect of the carbon cage on the configuration of the internal metallic cluster.

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The long-sought Y–Y bonding is experimentally observed in organometallic complexes for the first time by encapsulation inside the hollow cavity of C3v(8)-C82 and Cs(6)-C82 fullerene cages.

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Endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs), namely fullerenes with metallic species encapsulated inside, represent an ideal platform to investigate metal–metal or metal–carbon interactions at the sub‐nanometer scale by means of single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (XRD) crystallography. Herein, recent progress in the identification of new structures and unprecedented properties are discussed according to the categories of monometallofullerenes, dimetallofullerenes, carbide clusterfullerenes, and nitride clusterfullerenes. In particular, the dimerization and the cage‐isomer dependent oxidation state of the inner metal atom are summarized in terms of pristine monometallofullerenes. Metal–metal bonds involving lanthanide–lanthanides or actinide–actinides are discussed based on both experimental and theoretical studies. The cluster–cage matching and/or mutual selections, as well as the rarely seen M=C double bonds, are discovered in M2C2@C2n, U2C@C80, M2TiC@C80, and Ti3C3@C80. Subsequently, the geometries of different M3N clusters in various cages are discussed, revealing size‐matching between the internal M3N cluster and the outer cage induced by the planarity of the cluster. Finally, an outlook regarding the future developments of the molecular structures and applications of EMFs is presented.