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Abstract

For all isolated pentagon isomers of the fullerenes C₆₀–C₈₆ with nonzero HOMO–LUMO gap and for one nonclassical C₇₂ isomer (C_{2 v}), endohedral chemical shifts have been computed at the GIAO-SCF/3-21G level using B3LYP/6-31G* optimized structures. The experimental ³He NMR signals are reproduced reasonably well in cases where assignments are unambiguous (e.g. C₆₀, C₇₀ and C₇₆). On the basis of the calculated thermodynamic stability order and the comparison between the computed and experimental ³He chemical shifts, the assignments of the observed ³He NMR spectra are discussed for all higher fullerenes, and new assignments are proposed for one C₈₂ and one C₈₆ isomer (C₈₂:3 and C₈₆:17). The calculated helium chemical shifts also suggest the reassignment of the δ(³He) resonances of two C₇₈ isomers.