OXIDATION OF BUCKMINSTERFULLERENE C-60 IN BRONSTED ACIDS

C60 fullerene derivatives with H2SO4 (brown), HNO3 (light orange), and HClO4 (light brown) were prepared both by chemical and electrochemical oxidation of C60 in 97% H2SO4, fuming H2SO4, 65% HNO3, fuming HNO3, and 70% HClO4, respectively. A yellow-orange derivative was obtained by reacting the C60 fullerene with N2O5. In the case of the H2SO4 derivatives, the soccer ball structure of the C60 molecules proved to be maintained, whereas in the products obtained with HNO3, HClO4, and N2O5, the structure is different.