PURPOSE: To efficiently produce a fluorinated fullerene useful as a lubricating material, etc., in a short time by reacting a 60C-98C fullerene having a closed shell structure with a fluorine gas in the presence of hydrogen fluoride.

CONSTITUTION: A 60C-98C fullerene having a closed shell structure is inserted into a reaction tube. The fullerene is reacted with a fluorine gas in the presence of hydrogen fluoride to give a fluorinated fullerene. The pressure of the fluorine gas during the fluorination reaction is preferably about 1Torr to 2 atmospheric pressure, the amount of hydrogen fluoride present is properly about 0.1-1% based on the fluorine gas and a fluorine gas passed through a liquid hydrogen fluoride is preferably used. The reaction temperature of the fluorination is preferably room temperature-about 200°C and the reaction time is preferably about 10 minutes to 24 hours. Then the formed fluorinated fullerene is separated and recovered from the reaction mixture and purified by a method such as extraction or cleaning.