Manganese(iii) acetate-mediated activation of C-H bonds of weak CH-acids; addition of o-carborane, its derivatives, and some other CH-acids to [60]-fullerene.

o-Carborane, 9-I-o-carborane, 1-Me-o-carborane, and several other CH-acids, 9H-fluorene, 2-Br-9H-fluorene, and trimethylsylylacetylene, have been shown to react with C60 affording their monoadducts with fullerene, the reaction being mediated by Mn(OAc)3·2H2O. In the case of o-carborane, when the molar ratio of C60 : o-carborane : Mn(OAc)3·2H2O was 1 : 21 : 20, polyaddition occurred to furnish adducts bearing between one and six o-C2HB10H10 groups. A distinguishing characteristic of the carboranyl derivatives of C60 obtained appeared to be that the carboranyl moieties were connected to the fullerenyl one by their carbon atom.