Chemistry
Wet Chemistry to Purify Metallofullerenes Containing Lutetium Clusters Trapped Inside Higher Fullerene Cages
Document Type
Poster Presentation
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Subject Area
Chemistry
Start Date
13-4-2018 2:30 PM
End Date
13-4-2018 4:00 PM
Sponsor
Steven Stevenson (Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne)
Description
The encapsulation of rare-earth metals inside the hollow cavity of fullerene cages has led to the prediction of several applications. For example, Gd3N@C80 metallofullerenes have shown preliminary success as candidate MRI contrast agents. Lutetium-based endohedral metallofullerenes have sparked interest as possible X-ray contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals. Advancing these application areas is being slowed due to a lack of purified samples, which to date are limited to microgram or milligram quantities. In this presentation, we describe a new purification approach that permits the facile enrichment of not only Lu3N@C80, but also other family members, such as Lu3N@C78, Lu3N@C84 and Lu3N@C88. Wet chemistry involves the functionalization of fullerene contaminants with electron-rich amines, whose derivatives are rendered water-soluble upon chemical attack. Further selectivity is attained after a complexation/decomplexation step using a Lewis acid. At this stage, purified samples of lutetium metallofullerenes are readily achieved with HPLC fraction collection.
Wet Chemistry to Purify Metallofullerenes Containing Lutetium Clusters Trapped Inside Higher Fullerene Cages
Indianapolis, IN
The encapsulation of rare-earth metals inside the hollow cavity of fullerene cages has led to the prediction of several applications. For example, Gd3N@C80 metallofullerenes have shown preliminary success as candidate MRI contrast agents. Lutetium-based endohedral metallofullerenes have sparked interest as possible X-ray contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals. Advancing these application areas is being slowed due to a lack of purified samples, which to date are limited to microgram or milligram quantities. In this presentation, we describe a new purification approach that permits the facile enrichment of not only Lu3N@C80, but also other family members, such as Lu3N@C78, Lu3N@C84 and Lu3N@C88. Wet chemistry involves the functionalization of fullerene contaminants with electron-rich amines, whose derivatives are rendered water-soluble upon chemical attack. Further selectivity is attained after a complexation/decomplexation step using a Lewis acid. At this stage, purified samples of lutetium metallofullerenes are readily achieved with HPLC fraction collection.
