Retro‐Cycloaddition Reaction of Pyrrolidinofullerenes

Abstract

All things retro: Pyrrolidinofullerenes undergo a retro-cycloaddition reaction to afford the corresponding fullerene (C60, C70, or an endohedral C80 metallofullerene; see scheme) in quantitative yield upon treatment with an excess of a dipolarophile (maleic anhydride or N-phenylmaleimide) in o-dichlorobenzene. The reaction works efficiently with higher fullerenes and has allowed the isolation of one of the constitutional isomers of Sc3N@C80.