Effect of lipophilicity of C60 fullerene derivatives on their ability to inhibit peroxide oxidation of lipids in aqueous medium

The aqueous solutions of C₆₀ fullerene derivatives were studied by means of dynamic light scattering, their effect on the peroxide oxidation of lipids (POL) in aqueous solutions was investigated via chemiluminescence method. It was shown that the colloidal solubility in water, which defines the antioxidant activity of C₆₀ fullerene derivatives during POL, is controlled by the chemical structure of the addend added to C₆₀ fullerene. For the studied derivatives, the direct dependence of the efficiency of POL inhibition on the lipophilicity was established.     

Luminescent techniques in investigation of the biological properties of fullerene-based hybrid nanostructures

It has been shown that amino acid derivatives of C₆₀ fullerene (ADFs) are effective quenchers of phosphorescence of the triplet probes eosin and erythrosine. The rate constants of erythrosine phosphorescence quenching by ADFs in aqueous solutions and model membranes have been determined. Using the triplet probe technique, the ability of ADFs to be transported across the lipid bilayer into the inner space of liposomes have been revealed. By monitoring a change in the fluorescence intensity of a luminescent hybrid structure based on C₆₀-proline and eosin, the distribution of the hybrid structure in animal organs was established. The stability of hybrid structures subjected to various chemical and biological impacts was studied by recording the fluorescence of a Gd@C₈₂-based hybrid structure.     

Optical circular dichroism of the fullerene amino acid derivatives

The dependence of the circular dichroism spectra of the amino acid derivatives of fullerene C₆₀ on the structure of the initial α-amino acid was studied.     

Solubilization of fullerene C60 in micellar solutions of different solubilizers

Fullerene (C₆₀), the third carbon allotrope, is a classical engineered material with the potential application in biomedicine. However, extremely high hydrophobicity of fullerene hampers its direct biomedical evaluation and application. In this work, we investigated the solubilization of fullerene using 9 different solubility enhancers: Tween 20, Tween 60, Tween 80, Triton X-100, PVP, polyoxyethylene (10) lauryl ether, n-dodecyl trimethylammonium chloride, myristyl trimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulphate and evaluated its antioxidant activity in biorelevant media. The presence of C₆₀ entrapped in surfactant micelles was confirmed by UV/VIS spectrometry. The efficacy of each modifier was evaluated by chemometric analysis using experimental data for investigating the relationship between solubilization and particle size distribution. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis was applied and showed that non-ionic surfactants provide better solubilization efficacy (>85%). A correlation was established (r = 0.975) between the degree of solubilization and the surfactant structure. This correlation may be used for prediction of C₆₀ solubilization with non-tested solubility modifiers. Since the main potential biomedical applications of fullerene are based on its free radical quenching ability, we tested the antioxidant potential of fullerene micellar solutions. Lipid peroxidation tests showed that the micellar solutions of fullerene with Triton and polyoxyethylene lauryl ether kept high radical scavenging activity, comparable to that of aqueous suspension of fullerene and BHT. The results of this work provide a platform for further solubilization and testing of pristine fullerene and its hydrophobic derivatives in a biological benign environment.     

Low-Cost Synthesis of Fullerene Derivatives

Refined mixed fullerenes were used as a reagent in known organic reactions instead of the pure fullerene C₆₀ with aim to find an alternative, low-cost method for the synthesis of fullerene derivatives potentially exhibiting photoconductive properties. The isolation of C₆₀ or C₇₀ in clean form without admixtures requires the use of large quantities of toluene or other nonpolar solvents, polluting the environment and multiplying the production cost. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide to fullerite was chosen because this reaction is one of the most widely used for fullerene functionalization, producing material possibly presenting photoinducing behavior. The data showed that the use of the cheaper mixed fullerenes instead of pure C₆₀ leads to the isolation of the same expected products with similar yields. The photoelectric properties of mixed fullerenes and their organic derivatives were also examined. A slightly semiconductive behavior was confirmed as well as a noticeable photoresponse.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.     

Star-shaped polymers with the fullerene C60 branching center

The anionic methods for the synthesis of homo- and heteroarm (hybrid) star-shaped polymers using fullerene C₆₀ aPre considered. The possibilities of fullerene C₆₀ as an agent of combination of living polymer chains and the procedures of transformation of polymer derivatives of C₆₀ (hexaadducts) into polyfunctional macroinitiators of anionic polymerization of vinyl monomers are shown. The methods for functionalization of polymer fullerene derivatives and their combinations into structures of complex controlled architecture are presented. The structural features and initiating properties of the living polymer fullerene derivatives and their role in the formation of heteroarm star-shaped macromolecules with the controlled number of branches and predetermined molecular weight characteristics of the arms are discussed. The hydrodynamic properties of the star-shaped fullerene-containing polymers are considered. The data on the small-angle neutron scattering study of self-organization of the stars in solutions are presented.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of the antioxidant and neuroprotective properties of alkyl- and terpenylphenolchlorin conjugates

The new amide conjugates were synthesized from methyl pheophorbide a and its carboxyl derivatives by reactions with aminomethyl derivatives of 2,4-dimethylphenol, 2-isocamphyl-4- methylphenol, 2-bornyl-4-methylphenol, and 2-isobornyl-4-methylphenol. The antioxidant activity of some conjugates was established by investigation of their ability to inhibit the accumulation of secondary products of lipid peroxidation in a brain of laboratory mice in vitro. The neuroprotective properties of porphyrin and terpenylphenol conjugates have been studied on the model of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells (neuroblastoma).

     

Amino acid and peptide derivatives of fullerene

A general method for the synthesis of amino acid and peptide derivatives of fullerene (ADF) was developed, and the physicochemical properties of the compounds obtained were studied. ADF were shown to penetrate into liposomes and to exhibit adjuvant properties and antiviral activity. Deceased Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1050–1054, May, 1998.     

Fullerene Sugar Balls: A New Class of Biologically Active Fullerene Derivatives

Among the large variety of bioactive C₆₀ derivatives, fullerene derivatives substituted with sugar residues, that is, glycofullerenes, are of particular interest. The sugar residues are not only solubilizing groups; their intrinsic biological properties also provide additional appealing features to the conjugates. The most recent advances in the synthesis and the biological applications of glycofullerenes are summarized in the present review article with special emphasis on globular glycofullerenes, that is, fullerene sugar balls, constructed on a hexa‐substituted fullerene scaffold. The high local concentration of carbohydrates around the C₆₀ core in fullerene sugar balls is perfectly suited to the binding of lectins through the “glycoside cluster effect”, and these compounds are potential anti‐adhesive agents against bacterial infection. Moreover, mannosylated fullerene sugar balls have shown antiviral activity in an Ebola pseudotyped infection model. Finally, when substituted with peripheral iminosugars, dramatic multivalent effects have been observed for glycosidase inhibition. These unexpected observations have been rationalized by the interplay of interactions involving the catalytic site of the enzyme and non‐glycone binding sites with lectin‐like abilities.     

On the Mechanism of Action of Fullerene Derivatives in Superoxide Dismutation

We have studied the mechanism of the antioxidant activity of C₆₀ derivatives at the BP86/TZP level with inclusion of solvent effects (DMSO) by using the COSMO approach. The reaction studied here involves degradation of the biologically relevant superoxide radical (O₂^.?), which is linked to tissue damage in several human disorders. Several fullerene derivatives have experimentally been shown to be protective in cell culture and animal models of injury, but precisely how these compounds protect biological systems is still unknown. We have investigated the activity of tris‐malonyl C₆₀ (also called C₃), which efficiently removes the superoxide anion with an activity in the range of several biologically effective, metal‐containing superoxide dismutase mimetics. The antioxidant properties of C₃ are attributed to the high affinity of C₆₀ to accept electrons. Our results show that once the superoxide radical is in contact with the surface of C₃, its unpaired electron is transferred to the fullerene. This process, which converts the damaging O₂^.? to neutral oxygen O₂, is the rate‐determining step of the reaction. Afterwards, another superoxide radical reacts with C₃^.? to form hydrogen peroxide and in the process takes up the additional electron that was transferred in the first step. The overall process is clearly exothermic and, in general, involves reaction steps with relatively low activation barriers. The capability of C₃ to degrade a highly reactive oxygen species that is linked to several human diseases is of immediate interest for future applications in the field of biology and medicine.     

Synergistic Effect of Phosphite with FuUerene C60 and Fullerenol C60（OH）24 as Antioxidants in Polypropylene

Polypropylene samples with fullerene C60, fullerenol C60（OH）24, 1010, C60/168, C60-OH/168 and 1010/168 as antioxidants were prepared by extrusions. MFR, YI, TGA and OIT of all the samples were tested. According to the results of MFR, during the melt extrusion, fullerene showed excellent stability effect on PP. The antioxidative ability of fullerene was comparable to the traditional antioxidant 1010. The antioxidative ability of fullerenol was not significant in the first extrusion and it accelerated the degradation of PP in the second and the third extrusions. TGA and OIT tests showed that the stability effects of fullerene and fullerenol were slightly lower than antioxidant 1010. In the first time, antioxidant 168 was reported to show great synergistic effects with fullerene and fullerenol as antioxidants, which sussested a simple way to enhance the antioxidative abilities of fullerene and fullerenol.     

Fullerenes as unique nanopharmaceuticals for disease treatment

As unique nanoparticles, fullerenes have attracted much attention due to their unparalleled physical, chemical and biological properties. Various functionalized fullerenes with -OH, -NH₂, -COOH, and peptide modifications were developed. It summarized the biological activities of fullerenes derivatives in cancer therapy with high efficiency and low toxicity, as reactive oxygen species scavenger and lipid peroxidation inhibitor, to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus and to suppress bacteria and microbial at low concentration. In addition, the mechanism for fullerene to enter cells and biodistribution of fullerene in vivo was also discussed. This research focuses on the current understanding of fullerenes-based nanomaterials in the potential clinical application as well as biological mechanism of fullerenes and its derivatives in disease therapy.     

Structures and Chemistry of Methanofullerenes: A Versatile Route into N-[(Methanofullerene)carbonyl]-Substituted Amino Acids

The reaction of C₆₀ with oxadiazole 13 afforded the dimethoxymethanofullerene 7 in 32% yield as a 6-6-ring-bridged isomer with a closed transannular bond. A literature survey showed that all 6-6-ring-bridged methanofullerenes are σ-homoaromatic with a closed transannular bond (6-6-closed) and all 6-5-ring-bridged are π-homoaromatic with an open transannular bond (6-5-open). The preference for 6-6-closed and 6-5-open structures is not due to substituent effects but is best explained with the conservation in these isomers of the favorable bonding seen in C₆₀ with higher double-bond character at 6-6 bonds and higher single-bond character at 6-5 bonds. Reaction of C₆₀ with diazo diester 15 gave the fullerene diester 14 which was hydrolyzed with BBr₃ in benzene to the methanofullerenecarboxylic acid 10 , a versatile synthon for the preparation of amphiphilic fullerene derivatives. Treatment of 10 with alcohols and amino acid esters under DCC coupling conditions afforded the esters 5 and 17 and the amino-acid derivatives 11 and 12 , respectively.     

Production and stabilization of fullerene dispersions in liquid media in the presence of nonionic surfactants

Dispersion of C₆₀ fullerenes in water and ethanol in the presence of nonionic surfactants, ethylene oxide derivatives, was studied. It was found that the quality of the dispersion process and the stability of dispersions depend on the structure, degree of oxyethylation, and concentration of surfactants. The optimal conditions are found in which stable fullerene dispersions are obtained as ingredients of cosmetic preparations with antioxidant properties.     

Mono‐ and Bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene Derivatives Tethered to C60: Synthesis,Photophysical Studies,and Self‐Assembled Monolayers

A series of mono‐ (MPTTF) and bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene (BPTTF) derivatives tethered to one or two C₆₀ moieties was synthesized and characterized. The synthetic strategy for these dumbbell‐shaped compounds was based on a 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between aldehyde‐functionalized MPTTF/BPTTF derivatives, two different tailor‐made amino acids, and C₆₀. Electronic communication between the MPTTF/BPTTF units and the C₆₀ moieties was studied by a variety of techniques including cyclic voltammetry and absorption spectroscopy. These solution‐based studies indicated no observable electronic communication between the MPTTF/BPTTF units and the C₆₀ moieties. In addition, femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy revealed, rather surprisingly, that no charge transfer from the MPTTF/BPTTF units to the C₆₀ moieties takes place on excitation of the fullerene moiety. Finally, it was shown that the MPTTF–C₆₀ and C₆₀–BPTTF‐C₆₀ dyad and triad molecules formed self‐assembled monolayers on a Au(111) surface by anchoring to C₆₀.     

Synthesis of fullerene building blocks bearing alkyne or azide groups and their subsequent functionalization by the copper mediated Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

C₆₀ derivatives bearing either terminal alkyne or azide functional groups have been prepared and used as building blocks under the copper mediated Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition conditions. In general, the reactivity of C₆₀ toward azides does not significantly compete with the cycloaddition leading to the desired 1,2,3-triazole derivatives and good yields can be obtained when fullerene derivatives with reasonable solubility are used as starting materials. The electrochemical properties of the new fullerene derivatives have also been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Osteryoung Square Wave Voltammetry (OSWV).     

Quantum chemical calculations of the molecular structures of hybrid amino acid derivatives of fullerene C60

The stereoselectivity of the formation of hybrid amino acid derivatives of fullerene (AADF) C₆₀ was studied. The energies of the model addition reactions C₆₀ + n C₂H₆ ? Me _n -C₆₀-Me _n (1) and C₆₀ + n EtNC₄H₇Me ? Et _n -C₆₀-(NC₄H₇Me) _n (2) (n = 1–3) were calculated by the DFT method B3LYP/6-31G*. The most stable products of reaction (1) are hexamethylated fullerene derivatives in which five Me groups are arranged in the form of a regular pentagon. Among the AADF obtained by reaction (2), 1,4-disubstituted fullerene isomers are most stable. The molecular structures of such isomers were calculated for six biologically active hybrid AADF; the solvent contact areas of these molecules were evaluated.     

Synthesis of Amphiphilic Fullerene Derivatives and Their Incorporation in Langmuir and Langmuir‐Blodgett Films

Various amphiphilic fullerene derivatives were prepared by functionalization of [5,6]fullerene‐C₆₀‐I_h (C₆₀) with malonate or bis‐malonate derivatives obtained by esterification of the malonic acid mono‐esters 5 – 7 . Cyclopropafullerene 10 was obtained by protection of the carboxylic acid function of 6 as a tert‐butyl ester, followed by Bingel addition to C₆₀ and a deprotection step (Scheme 2). The preparation of 10 was also attempted directly from the malonic acid mono‐ester 6 under Bingel conditions. Surprisingly, the corresponding 3′‐iodo‐3′H‐cyclopropa[1,9][5,6]fullerene‐C₆₀‐I_h‐3′‐carboxylate 11 was formed instead of 10 (Scheme 3). The general character of this new reaction was confirmed by the preparation of 15 and 16 from the malonic acid mono‐esters 13 and 14 , respectively (Scheme 4). All the other amphiphilic fullerene derivatives were prepared by taking advantage of the versatile regioselective reaction developed by Diederich and co‐workers which led to macrocyclic bis‐adducts of C₆₀ by a cyclization reaction at the C‐sphere with bis‐malonate derivatives in a double Bingel cyclopropanation. The bis‐adducts 37 – 39 with a carboxylic acid polar head group and four pendant long alkyl chains of different length were prepared from diol 22 and acids 5 – 7 , respectively (Scheme 9). In addition, the amphiphilic fullerene derivatives 45, 46, 49, 54 , and 55 bearing different polar head groups and compound 19 with no polar head group were synthesized (Schemes 11–13, 15, and 5, resp.). The ability of all these compounds to form Langmuir monolayers at the air‐water interface was investigated in a systematic study. The films at the water surface were characterized by their surface pressure vs. molecular area isotherms, compression and expansion cycles, and Brewster‐angle microscopy. The spreading behavior of compound 10 was not good, the two long alkyl chains in 10 being insufficient to prevent aggregation resulting from the strong fullerene‐fullerene interactions. While no films could be obtained from compound 19 with no polar head group, all the corresponding amphiphilic fullerene bis‐adducts showed good spreading characteristics and reversible behavior upon successive compression/expansion cycles. The encapsulation of the fullerene in a cyclic addend surrounded by four long alkyl chains is, therefore, an efficient strategy to prevent the irreversible aggregation resulting from strong fullerene‐fullerene interactions usually observed for amphiphilic C₆₀ derivatives at the air‐water interface. The balance of hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity was modulated by changing the length of the surrounding alkyl chains or the nature of the polar head group. The best results in terms of film formation and stability were obtained with the compounds having the largest polar head group, i.e. 45 and 46 , and dodecyl chains. Finally, the Langmuir films obtained from the amphiphilic fullerene bis‐adducts were transferred onto solid substrates, yielding high‐quality Langmuir‐Blodgett films.     

Fluorescence Quenching Study of Zinc Bisporphyrins by Fulleropyrrolidines and Their N-Oxides

Novel phenylene-bridged zinc bisporphyrins （1-4）, fulleropyrrolidines （C60-m, C60-h） and their N-oxides （C60-mo, C60-ho） were synthesized. The fluorescence quenching processes of bisporphyrins in toluene solution by fulleropyrrolidines and their N-oxides were investigated by steady-state fluorescence spectra. The fluorescence quenching constants proved that the fluorescence quenching ability was decreased as reduction of the pyrrolidine functional groups of fullerene surface： C60-h〉C60-m〉C60, and the fluorescence quenching ability was increased about 1.3-7.4 times by utilizing fulleropyrrolidine N-oxides （C60-mo, C60-ho） compared to fulleropyrrolidine compounds （C60-m, C60-h）. The results revealed photoinduced electron transfer （PET） efficiency between bispor-phyrin and fullerene derivatives could be tunable by change of functional groups on fullerene surface.     

Controlled Decoration of [60]Fullerene with Polymannan Analogues and Amino Acid Derivatives through Malondiamide-Based Linkers

In the last few years, nanomaterials based on fullerene have begun to be considered promising tools in the development of efficient adjuvant/delivery systems for vaccination, thanks to their several advantages such as biocompatibility, size, and easy preparation and modification. In this work we reported the chemoenzymatic synthesis of natural polymannan analogues (di- and tri-mannan oligosaccharides characterized by α1,6man and/or α1,2man motifs) endowed with an anomeric propargyl group. These sugar derivatives were submitted to 1,3 Huisgen dipolar cycloaddition with a malondiamide-based chain equipped with two azido terminal groups. The obtained sugar-modified malondiamide derivatives were used to functionalize the surface of Buckminster fullerene (C₆₀) in a highly controlled fashion, and yields (11–41%) higher than those so far reported by employing analogue linkers. The same strategy has been exploited to obtain C₆₀ endowed with natural and unnatural amino acid derivatives. Finally, the first double functionalization of fullerene with both sugar- and amino acid-modified malondiamide chains was successfully performed, paving the way to the possible derivatization of fullerenes with immunogenic sugars and more complex antigenic peptides.