Fullerenes as a <i>tert</i>-Butylperoxy Radical Trap, Metal Catalyzed Reaction of <i>tert</i>-Butyl Hydroperoxide with Fullerenes, and Formation of the First Fullerene Mixed Peroxides C₆₀(O)(OO<i>^t</i>Bu)₄ and C₇₀(OO<i>^t</i>Bu)₁₀

Abstract

tert-Butylperoxy radicals generated by TBHP and Ru(PPh3)3Cl2 or other catalysts adds to C60 and C70 to form stable multiadducts, C60(O)(OOtBu)4 and C70(OOtBu)10. The four tert-butylperoxy groups in the C60 mixed peroxide are located around a pentagon, and the epoxy O occupies the remaining 6,6-bond connected to the same pentagon. The C70 decaadduct shows an unprecedented C2 symmetry with the 10 tert-butylperoxy groups added around the central part of C70 by consecutive 1,4-addition. The compounds are fully characterized by spectroscopic data.