Synthesis of water soluble fulleropyrrolidines bearing biologically active arylpiperazines

New water soluble fulleropyrrolidines endowed with biologically active arylpiperazines have been synthesized by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of in situ generated azomethyne ylides to C60. The substitution pattern on the pyrrolidine and piperazine rings ensures their solubility in a H2O/DMSO (9:1) solvents mixture. The mass spectrometry study reveals a different fragmentation pathway for the fulleropyrrolidines depending upon the substituent on the pyrrolidine nitrogen atom, affording in all cases to differently substituted methanofullerenes. Preliminary biological tests reveal a moderate activity in vitro experiments.