An alternative type of fullerene products from the reaction of [60]fullerene with alkoxides and subsequent derivatization.

Reaction of [60]fullerene with freshly prepared RCH(2)CH(2)ONa/RCH(2)CH(2)OH (R = H, Me, Et, Ph) in anhydrous toluene in the presence of air unexpectedly afforded fullerene products with a C(60)-fused tetrahydrofuran ring skeleton and an acetal moiety, which could be further transformed into C(60)-fused dihydrofurans, tolyl-substituted C(60)-fused tetrahydrofuran, and methanofullerenes bearing a formyl group by boron trifluoride etherate. Possible reaction mechanisms are proposed to explain the formation of different fullerene products.