Self- or Induced Organization of [60]Fullerene Hexakisadducts

In the past few years, much attention has been devoted to the development of C-60 multiadducts for high-added value materials. C-60 fullerene can be considered as a versatile hard nanocore for globular systems due to its tuneable valency (1 to 6 based on cyclopropanation derivatization) and regioselective polyaddition. Therefore, hexakisadducts of C-60 are becoming an important class of carbon-based macromolecules as they offer wider possibilities for structural variations than any other organic (or inorganic) scaffolds. For example, several types of molecular geometries can be designed and controlled, thanks to regioselective functionalization methodologies. This in turn leads to new building blocks for defined supramolecular organizations. In this review, an overview of the relationships between molecular architecture and self-or induced organization of C-60 hexakisadducts is provided. This includes a description of thin films, liquid-crystalline mesophases, and nanospheres formed by such carbonaceous systems.