Tuning the Morphology and State of Aggregation of Fullerene C-60 using Non-ionic Surfactants

摘要

The effect of various surfactants on aggregation of fullerene C-60 is discussed. Formation of ordered structures via C-60-surfactant interactions at a specific [C-60]/[Triton X-100] concentration ratio in the aqueous phase is reported. The aqueous phase nanoarchitectures were composed of rod-like assemblies of nanoscale dimensions at specific [C-60]/[Triton X-100] ratio of 1.7 x 10(-3) : 1. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the as-formed rod-like assembles had the dimensions of similar to 220 x 75 nm. The rods were composed of Triton X-100 and C-60 molecules, with pristine fullerene C-60 constituting the inner part of the rods. This strategy of preparing nanorods can be useful for future applications in the field of drug delivery due to the anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic activity of C-60 as well as for fabrication of nanomaterials with novel optoelectronic properties.