Novel solvent-free reaction of C60 with active methylene compounds in the presence of Na2CO3 under high-speed vibration milling

Inorganic base, Na2CO3, was utilized to replace organic base, DBU, in the Bingel reaction employing diethyl bromomalonate under the mechanochemical ‘high-speed vibration milling’ conditions to give the cyclopropanated C60 1 in high yield. In contrast, reactions of C60 with diethyl malonate and ethyl acetoacetate in the presence of Na2CO3 under HSVM conditions afforded 1,4-bisadduct 2 and dihydrofuran-fused C60 derivative 3, respectively.