A theoretical study of the mechanisms for 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions of diphenyldiazomethane to C60 and C70

The 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition (1,3‐DPCA) reaction plays a crucial role during the functionalization of fullerenes, which have broad applications in the materials and pharmaceutical fields. In concert with previous experiments, we theoretically investigated the mechanisms of 1,3‐DPCA of diphenyldiazomethane (DDMf) to two fullerenes (C₆₀ and C₇₀) using the M06‐2X density functional method under vacuum and in solvents. To understand the influence of the dipolarophile on these reactions, the 1,3‐DPCA of DDMf to three common acceptors, specifically tetracyanoethylene (TCNE), 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone (DDQ), and chloranil (CA), was also studied at the same computational level. The substituent effects on the five reactions were investigated by modeling 1,3‐DPCA reactions with 12 different substituted DDMf (DDMs) with five dipolarophiles, totaling 60 reactions. Including the five unsubstituted DDMf reactions, 65 1,3‐DPCA reactions were studied. The stereoselectivity, relative reactivity, solvent effects, and distortion/interaction energy model were carefully considered and analyzed based on their corresponding electronic structures, electrostatic potential surfaces, interaction models, solvent models, and thermodynamic data. An intermediate was identified for each of the 65 reactions. A possible biradical pathway for the reactions between DDMf and the two fullerenes was also investigated. The calculated results corroborate and enrich the experimental observations. The conclusion and detailed discussion are generally important for understanding the 1,3‐DPCA reactions to fullerenes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.