Electrochemical fluorination of fullerene C-60 using a fluoride ion conductor PbSnF4

Fullerene C-60 has been fluorinated by a new electrochemical method using a fluoride ion conductor PbSnF4 which is used as an electrolyte and a separator between cathode and anode compartments. When C-60 was fluorinated by a potentiostatic method, abrupt increase of the current was observed after about 6-20 hours induction time. The absorption peaks at 1040cm(-1) and 1080cm(-1) derived of tertiary C-F bond were observed in IR spectra of C-60 samples fluorinated below 2.0V vs Cu/CuF2 in benzene, while those fluorinated at 3.0V in benzene or at 1.9V in 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane showed absorption peaks at around 1250cm(-1) due to -CF3 or >CF2 which would be formed as the result of the destruction of the cage structure of C-60.