Synthesis of oxo- and methylene-bridged C60 dimers, the first well-characterized species containing fullerene-fullerene bonds.

The preparation and characterization of dimers and polymers, wherein two or more cages are directly linked, represents an important frontier in the chemistry of fullerene derivatives. We report the preparation of novel oxo- and methylene-bridged C{sub 60} dimers, the first well-characterized compounds containing fullerene-fullerene bonds. 22 refs., 3 figs.