A magnetoreception system constructed by a dysprosium metallofullerene and nitroxide radical.

Endohedral lanthanide metallofullerene molecules exhibit various paramagnetic properties. In this study, we present a magnetoreception probe that can detect the magnetic properties of an endohedral metallofullerene via spin-paramagnet interaction between a nitroxide radical and Dy3 N@C80 . A cycloaddition reaction on the outer cage of Dy3 N@C80 was employed to obtain two regioisomers linked with the nitroxide radical; the resultant adduct exhibits site-dependent signal intensity in the ESR spectra. This Dy3 N@C80 -nitroxide radical adduct has potential applications as a molecular compass with position-sensitive magnetoreception ability.