Crystallographic and spectroscopic characterization of a mixed actinide-lanthanide carbide cluster stabilized inside an Ih(7)-C80 fullerene cage

A mixed actinide-lanthanide cluster fullerene, Sc2UC@Ih(7)-C80, was isolated and fully characterized. For the first time, the single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis confirms a novel actinide-lanthanide cluster Sc2UC stabilized inside an Ih(7)-C80 cage. Moreover, the U=C double bond distance is 2.01 A, the shortest U=C bond confirmed by crystallography so far.