Synthesis of functionalized fullerene‐C60 by the living anionic polymerization technique

Abstract The synthesis of functionalized fullerene‐C60 (C60) was performed using living anionic polymerization. The metalation of the benzylic hydrogen atom on toluene or p‐substituted toluene was conducted with the alkyllithium/amine system, and examined by living anionic polymerization of 1,3‐cyclohexadiene. The number of carbanions bonded onto C60 was estimated by the grafting reaction of living polymer onto C60. The tert‐butyllithium/N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine system was an effective metalation reagent, and toluene‐, p‐xylene‐, 4‐methyltriphenylamine‐functionalized C60s having good solubility were successfully synthesized. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011