Palm-tree and dumbbell like polystyrene structures based on C60

By reacting anionic polymers such as polystyryllithium with C60, “living” hexa-adducts have been prepared and used to initiate the anionic polymerization of vinyl monomers. If styrene is used as the monomer, only one chain is growing out from the fullerene core producing a “palm-tree” type structure. The outgrowing chain bearing on its end a carbanion, could be reacted with the coupling agent dibromoparaxylene to form “dumbbell” like macromolecules where two 6 branched PS stars are connected together by a PS chain of controlled length.