Interaction of hydrofullerite С$_{60}$H$_{42}$ with air

The transmission and Raman spectra of С$_{60}$H$_{42}$ samples synthesized at a high hydrogen pressure and stored under different conditions have been measured. It has been found that, upon interaction of the compound with air, a part of C$_{60}$–H chemical bonds are replaced by C$_{60}$–O–H bonds. It has been experimentally shown that the observed changes in the vibrational and electronic properties of С$_{60}$H$_{42}$ are caused by the interaction of the compound with atmospheric oxygen and water vapor. The rate of oxidation of the studied samples is significantly less than the value previously published for the oxidation of the C$_{60}$H$_{36}$ compound synthesized by the reduction of fullerene С$_{60}$ dissolved in different solvents with the use of Zn/HCl. This is explained by the fact that particles of the product of the hydrogenation at a high hydrogen pressure are polycrystals with relatively large sizes, unlike the fullerene hydrides synthesized by the reduction of C$_{60}$ with Zn/HCl.