Trimetallic Nitride Clusters Entrapped Within CnN Heteroatom Cages

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The present invention is directed to a family of trimetallic nitride endohedral metalloheterofullerenes having the formula Ax X3-x N@Cn N, (x=0, 1, 2 or 3) (n=number of carbon atoms in the cage, typically between 59 and 199), wherein A and X are metal atoms encased within the cage, C is carbon and N is nitrogen. A and X are preferably selected from rare earth elements or group IIIB elements. A or X metal atoms are scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, gadolinium, lutetium, holmium, erbium, thulium, dysprosium, neodymium, cerium, praseodymium and ytterbium. Representative embodiments include Sc3N@C79N, Y3N@C79N, La3N@C79N, Tb3N@C79N, Ho3N@C79N, LaSc2N@C79N, PrSc2N@C79N, GdSc2N@C79N, La2ScN@C79N, and Gd2ScN@C79N. The present invention is also directed to a method of making the inventive endohedral metalloheterofullerenes having the formula AxX3-xN@CnN. These methods involve use of oxidizing gases (e.g. O2 and NOx) coupled with combustion as a means for making trimetallic nitride clusters encapsulated in heteroatom CnN cages made of both carbon and nitrogen.