Facile, scalable, regioselective synthesis of C3v C60H18 using organic polyamines.

[chemical structure: see text]. Organic polyamines are efficient reagents for the regioselective hydrogenation of [60]fullerene. When [60]fullerene is heated in diethylenetriamine, a known C60H18 isomer with C3v symmetry is produced and isolated in good purity without the need for chromatographic separation. The reaction can be scaled upward to multigram levels without impacting yield or quality of product.