Recent progress in the synthesis of regio‐isomerically pure bis‐adducts of empty and endohedral fullerenes

Abstract

Bis‐functionalized fullerenes have resulted in very effective acceptors in organic photovoltaic solar cells. Here we present a short overview of specific and recently reported pure bis‐adduct regioisomers of C60 using short tethers, a few recent examples of bis‐adducts of C70 and finally examples of bis‐adducts of endohedral cluster fullerenes. We also discuss the unexpected reactivity differences of empty fullerenes (C60 and C70) compared with those of trimetallic nitride cluster endohedral fullerenes (M3N@Ih‐C80, M = Sc, Lu) towards tethered‐bis‐addition reactions. Finally, we describe the remarkable endohedral‐cluster regiochemical control of multiple additions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.