Solution-phase synthesis of dumbbell-shaped C120 by FeCl3-mediated dimerization of C60

In the presence of FeCl3, C60 in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane reacted at 150 °C to produce a dumbbell-shaped dimer C120. We propose a reaction mechanism that includes FeCl3-mediated generation of an intermediate C60 radical cation, which reacts with C60 to form the dimer. The respectable chemical yield (21%) and quantity (106 mg) of the product will open new possibilities for investigating solution-phase polymerization of fullerenes as well as for conducting applied research on C120.