The photolysis of para-substituted 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyldiazirine derivatives in the presence of [60] fullerene (C 60) allowed easy access to the functionalised methanofullerenes 2b–2d in reasonable yields. The reaction is believed to take place via the addition of the carbene intermediate to a [6, 6] double bond of C 60. Succinimidyl-appended methanofullerene 2b serves as an active site for the attachment of other molecules via ...