Isolation and characterisation of fluorinated derivatives of [76]- and [78]fullerenes

Abstract

From the fluorination of [76]fullerene with MnF₃ at 450–500 °C, followed by HPLC separation of 2–3 mg of the products, we have isolated and characterised the following derivatives: C₇₆F₃₆, C₇₆F₃₈ (the main component, of C₁ symmetry), C₇₆F₄₀ (five isomers, one of which has C₂ symmetry), C₇₆F₄₂, C₇₆F₄₄, C₇₆F₄₀O, and C₇₆F₃₉OH (containing also some C₇₆F₃₇OH, and C₇₆F₄₁OH) and C₇₈F₄₂ (arising from traces of [78]fullerene present in the original [76]fullerene). Two unresolved mixtures were also obtained, one consisting of C₇₆F₃₂ and C₇₈F₃₈, the other consisting of other isomers of C₇₆F₃₆, C₇₆F₃₈, C₇₆F₄₀ and C₇₆F₄₂. The compounds are essentially colourless, but give lemon-coloured solutions in toluene due to formation of charge-transfer complexes.