In this work, we describe the insertion of a water-soluble bisadduct fulleropyrrolidine derivative into the interlayer space of three layered smectite clays. The composites were characterized by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoemission and FTIR spectroscopies, and laser flash photolysis measurements. The experiments, complemented by computer simulations, give insight into the formation process, structural details, and properties of the fullerene/clay nanocomposites. The reported composite materials constitute a new hybrid system, where C(60) differs from its crystals or its solutions, and open new perspectives for the design and construction of novel C(60)-based organic/clay hybrid materials.

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Fulleropyrrolidine and pyrrolidine derivatives were studied using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy in order to determine the effects of the C 60 -cage on the pyrrolidine nitrogen, as well as the influence of further derivatisation. Charge transfer from the carbon pyrrolidine ring to the C 60 -cages is observed and this charge redistribution influences not only the carbon atoms but also the nitrogen. The major influence of different functionalization groups on the pyrrolidine nitrogen is whether or not they lead to quaternisation while no differences could be detected for different groups (methyl group or alkyl chain) producing one or the other configuration. However, the type of counter ion is important for the stability of the pyrrolidinium nitrogen: demethylated nitrogen, always found to be present in iodide counter balanced compounds, disappears in compounds counter balanced with BF À 4 anion.

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