Fullerene lipids: synthesis of dialkyl 1,2-[6,6]-methano-[60]-fullerene dicarboxylate derivatives

Reaction of C60 fullerene with dialkyl bromomalonate (where the alkyl groups consist of short-, medium-, and long-saturated chains or unsaturated long chains) in the presence of sodium hydride gives [6,6]-bridged mono-adducts of methanofullerene. The spectroscopic properties of such fullerenoid lipids are reported.