Mechanochemical synthesis of a novel C60 dimer connected by a germanium bridge and a single bond

A novel C60 dimer connected by a germanium bridge and a single bond was synthesized by the mechanochemical solid-state reaction using a high-speed vibration milling technique. The structural characterization was made by the 1H and 13C NMR, APCI mass, and UV-vis spectroscopy, and the presence of the electronic interaction between the two C60 cages was demonstrated by the electrochemical method.