Fluorinated fullerenes.
Recent developments in fluorination of fullerenes coupled with HPLC separation have permitted the isolation and subsequent structural characterisation of many derivatives, a number of which have novel and unexpected structures. The good solubility of fluorofullerenes, high reactivity towards nucleophiles and enhanced dienophilicity of the unsubstituted part of the cage, as a result of electron withdrawal by the fluorines, makes fluorofullerenes promising synthons. In particular that may have enhanced performance in donor-acceptor complexes with respect to bare fullerenes.