Addition of aryl and fluoroalkyl radicals to fullerene C70: ESR detection of five regioisomeric adducts and density functional calculations

Electron spin resonance was used to examine the addition of a number of photochemically generated aryl and fluoroalkyl radicals to fullerene C70. Simple alkyl radicals yield only three of the five expected RC70 regioisomers, while the more reactive aryl and fluoroalkyl radicals afford four of these regioisomers. Only the trifluoromethyl radical afforded for the first time the ESR spectra of all five expected isomers.