Catalytic epoxidation of C60 using Mo(O)2(acac)2/tBuOOH

Abstract

Highly oxygenated fullerenes, C₆₀O_n with 1 ≤ n ≤ 13, have been prepared by the Mo(O)₂(acac)₂ catalysed oxidation of C₆₀ with ^tBuOOH. Increasing the catalyst : C₆₀ ratio or increasing the reaction temperature increases the yield as well shifting the product distribution to higher oxygenated products, in contrast, increasing the ^tBuOOH concentration shifts the product distribution in the opposite manner. The MALDI mass spectra of reactions containing the highest oxygenated products (n > 5) show additional peaks (not observed for C₆₀ under the same MS conditions) due to the cage-opened products C_x (x = 54, 56, 58) along with their oxygenated derivatives, C_xO_n (x = 54, 56, 58; n = 1–3).