Metal-containing carbon clusters

Abstract

The results of injected-ion drift-tube studies of the structures and isomerization of metal-containing carbon clusters are described. Three basic types of geometry are observed: metal-containing rings, metal-containing graphitic fragments and metallofullerenes. The nature of these isomers depends on the electronic properties of the metal. While only a few metals and stoichiometries have been examined so far, it is possible to begin to identify periodic trends in both the structures and properties.