C59N+: A key intermediate in azaheterofullerene chemistry

The thermal treatment of the azaheterofullerene dimer (C59N)2 in the presence of oxygen and a nucleophilic trapping reagent leads to the facile and selective formation of a variety of monomeric adducts C59NR involving electronic rich aromatics, carbonyl compounds, alcohols and olefins as terminating addend. These investigations within the field of synthetic heterofullerene chemistry imply the presence of C59N+ as an important key intermediate.