Approaches to open fullerenes: Synthesis and thermal stability of cis-1 bis(isobenzofuran) Diels-Alder adducts of [C.sub.60]

A study was conducted to investigate the double Diels-Alder cycloaddition of two tethered isobenzofurans to the fullerene [C.sub.60]. The method helps to easily perform the saturation of two of the three C=C double bonds within a six-membered ring of [C.sub.60] and provides the means of saturating the remaining double bond of a six-membered ring of [C.sub.60] via the side chains of the isobenzofurans with suitably reactive functional groups.