Polyhydroxy Fullerene C60

Fullerenes are a class of carbon molecules that have an outer shell of hexagons and pentagons. Polyhydroxy fullerene C60 is a water-soluble fullerene that has been found to cause reactive oxygen species production in cells, leading to cell death. It has also been shown to inhibit the proliferation rate in mitochondria, which may be due to its ability to produce reactive oxygen species. Fullerenes are also fluorescent and are used for fluorescence microscopy as well as for cancer treatment.

Fullerenol is a derivative of C60 fullerene with multiple hydroxyl functional groups on its surface. The surface modification of the hydrophobic C60 fullerene with hydroxyl function groups makes fullerene hydrophilic and soluble in polar solvents such as ethanol, DMSO or water. The solubility of fullerenol is dependent on the number of hydroxyl groups attached on the surface of the fullerene ball. Lower degree hydroxylated fullerenols with 10-12 hydroxyl groups are soluble in THF, DMF and DMSO, and the medium degree fullerenols with 16–24 hydroxyl groups dissolve in more polar solvents such as ethanol and water.

Fullerenol has a tendency to aggregate to form nanosized clusters with diameters of 10.7 - 102 nm. The hydroxyl (-OH) groups of the fullerenol is acidic and prone to hydrogen bonding interactions with other fullerenol molecules to form nanoclusters. In aqueous solution, depending on the pH value, fullerenol is more or less deprotonated and exists in the form of stable polyanion nanoparticles.

With great numbers of conjugated double bonds and low residing energy level of lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO), fullerenes have been known as radical sponges due to their great ability to scavenge free radicals. For this reason, C60 fullerenol possesses a large radical and cytotoxic activity and it can act as a strong antioxidant.

Synonyms:
Hydroxyl fullerene; Polyhydroxylated fullerene; Water-soluble C60 fullerene; Fullerenol C60

CAS No:
NA

Molecular Formula:
C60(OH)n (n = 30-50)

Molecular Weight:
As reported

Appearance:
Yellow to light brown powder

Purity:
≥99.5%

Solubility:
Water: >100mg/ml (pH = 7, 25°C),; Ethanol, DMSO

Storage and Stability:
May be stored at RT for short-term only. Long-term storage is recommended at 4°C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial prior to removing the cap.