Synthesis of a π-conjugated oligomer–fullerene dyad through a versatile [6,6]diphenylmethanofullerene carboxylic acid

In this article we describe the synthesis of an electron donor–acceptor dyad containing a [6,6]diphenylmethanofullerene moiety as the electron acceptor and a dialkylamino-substituted oligo-p-phenylenevinylene as the electron donor. The synthesis of this material has been successfully accomplished by an esterification reaction between a [6,6]diphenylmethanofullerene functionalized with a carboxylic acid and the corresponding oligomer substituted with a benzyl alcohol. Cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy show that both electroactive units preserve their nature in the ground state, whereas preliminary photophysical investigations show a strong fluorescence quenching.