Noncovalent complexes of Ih?C80 fullerene with phthalocyanines

The noncovalent interactions of I_h?C₈₀ fullerene with free-base and 3d transition M(II) phthalocyanines (where M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) were studied at the PBE-D/DNP level of density functional theory. The optimized complex geometries, formation energies and electronic parameters were analyzed and compared to those reported previously for similar dyads with C₆₀. In the complexes with I_h?C₈₀, the central metal atom (as well as one H atom of H₂Pc) is always coordinated to a C_6:6:6 atom of C₈₀ cage, exhibiting only one general interaction pattern. The shortest M^…C_C80 and N^…C_C80 distances are notably longer than in dyads with C_60, and the distortion of Pc macrocycle is less significant. In none of C₈₀-based dyads the formation of new coordination bonds by metal atoms was observed. The bonding strength for Pc–C₈₀ dyads varies approximately to the same degree of 20 kcal/mol as for their Pc–C₆₀ analogues, however negative formation energies for Pc–C₈₀ dyads are on average by 5–6 kcal/mol lower than for their C₆₀ analogues. While in closed-shell Pc–fullerene systems HOMO is usually found totally on Pc molecule, in the case of C₈₀-based dyads only a minor HOMO fraction can be detected for some dyads on Pc, with the major one always distributed over fullerene cage. As a result, the calculated HOMO-LUMO gap energies turn to be very low, around 0.1 eV. Analysis of spin density plots revealed that H₂Pc+C₈₀, NiPc+C₈₀ and ZnPc+C₈₀ dyads behave as closed-shell systems, like similar noncovalent complexes of Pcs with C₆₀.