Electrochemistry of hydrofullerene C60H36 Was studied by cyclic voltammetry
in THF and CH2Cl2 in the -47-14 degrees C temperature range. Hydrofulleren
e undergoes reversible one-electron reduction to form a radical anion in TH
F(E-o = -3.18 V (Fc(o)/Fc(+)), Fc = ferrocene) and irreversible one-electro
n oxidation in CH2Cl2 (E-p(a) = 1.22 V (Fc(o)/Fc(+))). The reduction potent
ial was used to estimate electron affinity of hydrofullerene as EA = -0.33
eV. It was suggested that C60H36 is an isomer with T-symmetry in which 12 d
ouble bonds form four isolated benzenoid rings located in vertices of an im
aginary inscribed tetrahedron on the molecular surface. For hydrofullerene,
the "electrochemical gap" is an analog of the energy gap (HOMO-LUMO), equa
l to (E-ox - E-Red) = 4.4 V, and indicates that C60H36 is a sufficiently "h
ard" molecule with a low reactivity in redox reactions.