Cascade Radical Reaction of N-Sulfonyl-2-allylanilines with [60]Fullerene: Synthesis and Functionalization of (2-Indolinyl)methylated Hydrofullerenes.

The copper-promoted cascade radical reaction of N-sulfonyl-2-allylanilines with [60]fullerene has been developed to efficiently provide novel and scarce (2-indolinyl)methylated hydrofullerenes, featuring a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. A plausible reaction mechanism for the formation of (2-indolinyl)methylated hydrofullerenes is proposed on the basis of the experimental results. In addition, further transformation into other carbocyclic derivatives of [60]fullerene as well as their applications in organic photovoltaic devices of the obtained products has also been explored.