The electrochemical reduction of fullerenes, C60 and C70

The hexaanion of fullerene, C(60)(6-), was obtained in 1:5 (v/v) acetonitrile-toluene mixture with a mercury hemispherical ultramicroelectrode as a working electrode at a temperature of up to 30 degrees C. The C(70)(6-) ion also can be observed under the same conditions. The differences between the redox potentials of C(60) relative to C(70) indicate that it is easier to add electrons to C(70) and its anions compared to the counterparts of C(60). The results show that the mercury electrode is very suitable for investigation of the properties of the electrochemical reduction for the fullerenes, particularly C(60), at room temperature.