Where does the metal cation stay in Gd@C2v(9)-C82? A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study.

Metal positions in endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) are of special importance because their molecular symmetry and intrinsic properties are strongly influenced by the location and motion of the encapsulated metals. X-ray analyses of the cocrystals of Gd@C(2v)(9)-C(82) with nickel(II) octaethylporphyrin [Ni(II)(OEP)] reveal that the Gd(3+) cation is off-center, being located under a hexagonal ring along the 2-fold axis of the C(2v)(9)-C(82) cage. This result is in sharp contrast to that of a previous study, showing that Gd@C(2v)(9)-C(82) has an anomalous endohedral structure, with the metal being positioned over a [6,6] bond, which is opposite to the hexagonal ring along the C(2) axis (Phys. Rev. B 2004, 69, 113412). In agreement with theoretical calculations and related studies, it is conclusive that the single rare-earth metal in M@C(2v)(9)-C(82) always tends to coordinate with the hexagonal ring along the 2-fold axis, instead of interacting with the [6,6] bond on the other end, regardless of the type of metal atom.