C₆₁Br₂: a new synthesis of dibromomethanofullerene and mass spectrometric evidence of the carbon allotropes C₁₂₁and C₁₂₂

The new preparative synthesis and the characterization of 1′,1′-dibromo-1,2-methano[60]fullerene 1a using a Seyferth reagent and the mass spectrometric evidence of the novel dumb-bell shaped molecular carbon allotropes C121 2 and C122 3 obtained via a proposed intermediate C60C: carbene generated from 1a are reported.