The latest research Cycloaddition of Benzyne to Endohedral Metallofullerenes M3N@C80(M = Sc, Y): A Rotating-Intermediate Mechanism by Dr. Yang Tao, a member of Professor Zhao Xiang's research team at Institute for Chemical Physics, School of Sciences was published online in the internationally reputed chemical journal Journal of American Chemical Society. XJTU is identified as the first author and first correspondent author of the paper. It's the first time XJTU sciences research team has published research findings in such a reputable journal. (The latest impact factor of the journal is 11.44).

Endohedral Metallofullerenes has wide applications in biopharmacy, nuclear magnetic imaging, and photoelectrical materials etc, given its exceptional physical and chemical properties. Endohedral Metallofullerenes could be functionalized through cycloaddition reaction, which is getting more and more attention in the fullerene-related studies. Supervised by Professor Zhao Xiang, Dr. Yang Tao initiated a systematic investigation into the cycloaddition reaction (2+2) of Endohedral Metallofullerenes and benzyne. The findings demonstrate the surface cycloaddition reaction (2+2) of fullerene is radical instead of carbine based and the radical intermediate could freely rotate on the surface of fullerene.The research team proposes for the first time the rotating-intermediate mechanism, which accurately accounts for the recent experimental results by an American research team, and assumes chemical reaction activities, regional selection and product structure of cycloaddition reaction could be fully controlled through changing the embedded metals.

This important theoretical findings has enriched the theoretical and practical studies of Metallofullerenes chemistry and broadened knowledge about conventional cycloaddition reaction (2+2).