Sc3N@C78: encapsulated cluster regiocontrol of adduct docking on an ellipsoidal metallofullerene sphere.

The first N-tritylpyrrolidino derivatives of D(3h) (78:5) Sc(3)N@C(78) were successfully synthesized and isolated. The addition sites for the two nearly equivalent kinetic monoadducts 1a and 1b are across two different 6,6 junction sites on the Sc(3)N@C(78) cage that are offset from the horizontal plane defined by the Sc(3)N cluster. The adducts were characterized by NMR experiments, DFT calculations and X-ray crystallographic analysis of Sc(3)N@C(78) derivative 1a. A unique finding of this study is the regiocontrol of adduct docking by the internal Sc(3)N cluster.