Formation of novel sulfur-containing C60F16 cycloadducts between tetrathiafulvalene and C60F18; a unique six-electron cycloaddition of a fullerene involving F2 loss.

Co-evaporation of solutions of C(60)F(18) and tetrathiafulvalene in toluene produces an unsymmetrical C(60)F(16):tetrathiafulvalene adduct through a unique six-electron cycloaddition involving displacement of two fluorine atoms by a terminal Cdbond;C double bond of the fulvalene. The adduct rearranges into two further adducts, one of which is characterised as a new type of fullerene derivative, a thiiranofullerene, formed by elimination of a thioketene moiety from the tetrathiafulvalene adduct. The initial addition also produces a bisadduct in which the addends comprise one tetrathiafulvalene molecule and one in which carbon disulfide has been eliminated. The latter adduct involves cycloaddition of an unsaturated aromatic dithiolactone moiety.