Stable C92(26) and C92(38) as Well as Unstable C92(50) and C92(23) Isolated-Pentagon-Rule Isomers As Revealed by Chlorination of C92 Fullerene.

High-temperature chlorination of C92 fractions, followed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, resulted in the structure determination of C92(38)Cl18, C92(38)Cl22, C92(26)Cl24, nonclassical C90( NC)Cl22, and non-isolated-pentagon-rule C90Cl26. Two latter chloro derivatives were obtained by chlorination-promoted cage transformations via a single C2 loss from C92(50) and a combination of a C2 loss from C92(23) and three Stone-Wales rearrangements. The chlorination patterns are stabilized by the formation of isolated C═C bonds and aromatic substructures on carbon cages. The presence of C92 isomer numbers 23, 26, and 50 in the arc-discharge fullerene soot has been confirmed for the first time.