Highly regioselective transformation of out/out-equatorial bis(formylmethano)[60]fullerenes: construction of dissymmetric [60]fullerene-centered triads

Three kinds of out/out-equatorial bis(formylmethano)[60]fullerenes (1b-d) were obtained by the tether-directed bifunctionalization of [60]fullerene with bis(alpha-formylsulfonium ylide)s. The condensation of aromatic amines with 1b-d proceeded with an unexpectedly high regioselectivity to give one of two possible regioisomers of mono-imines as the main products (the ratio of the regioisomers, up to 97:3). By the transformation of the remaining formyl group in the mono-imines thus obtained, the corresponding dissymmetric bis-imines were efficiently synthesized.