Phosphonium fullerides: isolable zwitterionic adducts of a phosphine with C60

Abstract

Although fullerene derivatization has been extensively studied for decades, zwitterionic adducts with neutral Lewis bases are rare, and those with tertiary phosphines remain elusive. This work presents a combined experimental and computational study on the first isolable zwitterionic phosphonium fullerides. The reaction of tris(tetramethylguanidinyl)phosphine ((tmg)₃P) with C₆₀ results in the formation of the zwitterionic adducts (tmg)₃PC₆₀ and (tmg)₃PC₆₀P(tmg)₃ in quantitative yield. Stoichiometric studies demonstrate that up to two (tmg)₃P molecules can reversibly bind to C₆₀, forming bisphosphine adducts as regioisomeric mixtures with reduced P–C bond stability. Spectroscopic, crystallographic, and computational analyses reveal the presence of σ-type dative P–C bonds and significant charge redistribution within the fullerene cage. Furthermore, functionalizations of the phosphonium fullerides with electrophiles yield ionic derivatives, highlighting their reactivity and potential for further modification.