Molecular and electronic structure of several heterofullerene BNC₅₈ and B₂N₂C₅₆ oligomers and [B₂N₂C₅₆] _n macromolecule

Abstract

Molecular and electronic structure of heterofullerene BNC₅₈ (C _s) and B₂N₂C₅₆ (C _2h) monomers, B₂N₂C₁₁₆ and B₄N₄C₁₁₂ dimers, and B₆N₆C₁₆₈ trimer (the last three molecules withC _2h symmetry) was simulated by the MNDO method. Clusters BNC₅₈ and B₂N₂C₅₆ are formed by replacement of carbon atoms participating in one or two of the most distant oppositely lying (6,6)-type C−C bonds in fullerene C₆₀ by B and N atoms. In one of the two studied isomers of the B₂N₂C₁₁₆ dimer, the monomers are linked by the four-membered carbon cycle, while the heteroatoms form the most distant oppositely lying bonds of the dimer. In the other isomer of the B₂N₂C₁₁₆ dimer, as well as in the B₄N₄C₁₁₂ dimer and B₆N₆C₁₆₈ trimer, the monomers are linked by four-membered B₂N₂ cycles with alternation of the atoms. For all the systems studied, the optimum geometric parameters, heats of formation, ionization potentials, and atomic charges were calculated. Dimerization energies of heterofullerenes BNC₅₈ and B₂N₂C₅₆ lie in the range from 33 to 49 kcal mol⁻¹. It was found that the B₂N₂C₁₁₆ dimer, in which the monomers are linked by the four-mernbered carbon cycle, is the most stable system. In the case of B₂N₂C₅₆ trimerization, the energy gain (compared to the triple monomer energy) is about twice as large as the dimerization energy. Molecular structure of the quasi-linear [B₂N₂C₅₆) _n macromolecule was simulated, and extended Hückel calculations of its energy band structure by the crystal orbital method were performed. It was found that the electron energy spectrum is of semiconducting type (the band gap is equal to 1.27 eV.