Confinement and recognition of icosahedral main group cage molecules: fullerene C60 and o-, m-, p-dicarbadodecaborane(12)

Abstract

Supramolecular chemistry of icosahedral main group cage molecules, fullerene C₆₀ and the carboranes o-, m- , p-B₂C₁₀H₁₂, is of interest in the purification of these molecules and in building up novel materials. The non-polarised, spherical like nature of C₆₀ requires specific shape and electronic complementarity between the interacting supramolecular synthons which leads to polarisation of the fullerene, whereas for the carboranes, hydrogen bonding involving the C–H groups, including the formation of bifurcated hydrogen bonds [C–H‥(N,O)₂], and C–H‥π interactions, along with shape complementarity, facilitate the self assembly process. Insight into future prospects in this field is presented.