In C60(H20)80 (see below left), the 20 inner-sphere water molecules interact through their hydrogen atoms to the pi-electrons in the six-membered rings. In C60(OH−)6(H20)80 (below right), the fullerene water cluster has 20 nearest-neighbor water molecules plus six nearest-neighbor hydroxide ions. The six hydroxide ions can fit under the hydrogen-bonded outer sphere water and interact with the carbon atoms using their free lone-pair electrons. The remaining 20 inner-sphere water molecules interact using their hydrogen atoms to the pi-electrons in the six-membered rings.
These animations use Jmol: an open-source Java viewer for chemical structures in 3D. Use the mouse for control.
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This page was established in 2002 and last updated by Martin Chaplin on 3 August, 2021