[marchiap]

hello guys,
i am struggling with the mechanism of this last step of the synthesis of Fullerene C_{60. is an Aldol trimerization with TiCl4. could you please help me and maybe post a picture o the mechanism, would be really appreciated}

[Enthalpy]

Nobody answers? My 2 cents then...

By removing 3H₂0, each composed of one O and the only two H on a nearby C, you can get the central C₆ of the trimer. It resembles the three acetylenes making a benzene. But that's all: this intermediate has still thirty H which must all vanish to get the fullerene, so this can't be the last step.

Hope someone else will jump in...