Preparation of Covalent-Bound Iodofullerene through Selective Opening of Fullerene Epoxide To Form Halohydrin Fullerene Derivatives

The epoxy moiety in a fullerene mixed peroxide can be opened regioselectively by various Lewis acids to form halohydrin fullerene derivatives. The first iodofullerene was obtained by treating the fullerene epoxide with triphenylphosphine and iodine. A single-crystal structure of the chlorohydrin derivative supports the results.