Palm tree- and dumbbell-like polymer architectures based on C-60

By reacting 6 PSLi per C-60 molecule, fairly pure star-shaped polymers with six branches and six carbanions located on the fullerene core are obtained . Only one of these six carbanions is able to initiate the anionic polymeri zation of styrene or isoprene leading to well;defined palm tree-like archit ectures (PSa)(6)C60PSb or (PS)(6)C60PI. At its end, the out-growing chain b ears a carbanion that has been allowed to react with the coupling agents di bromo-p-xylene and dibromohexane to produce the dumbbell-like structures, ( PSa)(6)C60PSb-pX-PSbC60(PSa)(6) and (PS)(6)C60PI-Hex-PIC60(PS)(6). If C-60 itself is allowed to react with the "living" palm tree, a third fullerene m olecule is introduced in the center of the macromolecular architecture.