Photocontrolled organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) containing a hybrid compound of fullerene C ₆₀ (n-semiconductor) with spiropyran (electrical conductivity photocontroller) as the active layer were fabricated for the first time.

Cycloaddition to fullerene C₆₀ of monosubstituted diazomethanes generated in situ by oxidation of aldehyde hydrazones in the presence of Pd(acac)₂-2 PPh₃-4 Et₃Al as catalytic system resulted in selective formation of homofullerenes in which the alkyl substituent is located above the plane of the five-membered ring in C₆₀. Under analogous conditions, unsymmetrical disubstituted diazomethanes generated from the corresponding ketone hydrazones gave rise to mixtures of stereoisomeric 5,6-open adducts.

The review summarizes for the first time the results of reported experimental and theoretical studies on the synthesis of fullerenes and their derivatives, their antiwear and extreme pressure properties, and modern areas of application as dry lubricants and greases or oil additives for various purposes. Methods for synthesizing fullerene derivatives and correlations between their structure and tribological characteristics have been considered.

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to fullerene C₆₀ was utilized to perform the synthesis of spiropyran-containing photochromic pyrrolidinofullerenes.