Fullerenols, ionization

A characteristic reaction of the alkylated C60 chlorides thus prepared is clean hydrolysis to give fullerenols in the presence of silica gel. Most simply this could be carried out by passing a solution of the chloride through a column of silica gel. This can be explained via a silica gel-assisted ionization of the chloride and trapping of the intermediate cation by water present in the reaction system. In all cases, the product was the 1,4 isomer (Figure 5). 

Monoalkylated Ceo Cation (RCeo )- Derivatized Ceo cations with an alkyl group attached, RCeo, can be generated from the corresponding fullerenols 1,4-RCeoOH (2a-d) in strong acid (Scheme 9.3). Ionization of alcohols and alkyl halides in a superacid, such as magic acid (FSOsH-SbFs), is a well established method, devel-... 

Scheme 9.3. Generation of alkylated Qo cations by the ionization of fullerenol precursors.

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