Basic hydrolysis of fullerene-based esters: A tiny step away from nucleophilic addition to fullerene

Abstract

Direct nucleophilic addition of-OH groups on the C 60 skeleton in the basic hydrolysis of ethyl ester of T h -symmetric fullerenehexamalonic acid (T h -FHMA), leading to the formation of a hybrid with features of T h -FHMA and fullerenol, has been observed as an important side reaction. The hydroxylation takes place at considerably milder conditions as those usually used in the synthesis of C 60 fullerenols. UV/Vis and IR spectroscopy were successfully used as a fast monitoring tool which might be of help also in other investigations where additions on C 60 skeleton of molecules with distinct absorption spectra take place.