A Rational Chemical Synthesis of C60
Lawrence T. Scott,1*
Margaret M. Boorum,1
Brandon J. McMahon,1
Stefan Hagen,1
James Mack,1
Jarred Blank,1
Hermann Wegner,12
Armin de Meijere2
Isolable quantities of C60, the smallest
stable fullerene, have been synthesized in 12 steps from commercially
available starting materials by rational chemical methods. A molecular
polycyclic aromatic precursor bearing chlorine substituents at key
positions forms C60 when subjected to flash vacuum
pyrolysis at 1100°C. No other fullerenes are formed as by-products.
The methods we have developed for the target-specific synthesis of
fullerenes, applied here to a synthesis of C60, should make
possible the directed laboratory preparation of other fullerenes as
well, including those not accessible by graphite vaporization.
1 Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry
Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3860, USA.
2 Institut für Organische Chemie der
Georg-August-Universität, Tammannstrasse 2, D-37077
Göttingen, Germany.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
lawrence.scott{at}bc.edu
