Fascinating chemistry of metal clusters and carbon clusters (fullerenes)

Abstract

Investigations of a variety of transition metal clusters by means of high-energy spectroscopies including BIS show the occurrence of a metal-insulator transition with decrease in the cluster size. The chemical reactivity of the clusters also varies significantly with the size. Among the many fascinating properties of the fullerenes C₆₀ and C₇₀, a noteworthy one is the interaction between metal clusters and fullerenes. Phase transitions of fullerenes involving orientational disorder and pressure-induced decrease in the band gap of C₆₀ are other novel features of interest.