Benzylamine imines as versatile precursors to azomethine and nitrile ylides in the [2 + 3] cycloaddition reactions with [60]fullerene

Pyrrolidino- and pyrrolinofullerenes were prepared using readily available benzylamine imines as reagents; the cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed that the C=N double bond mediates an electronic communication between the fullerene π-system and a substituent attached to the sp² carbon of the pyrroline ring.