Solubilization of C60 using ultrasound and amphiphilic block copolymers in acidic aqueous solutions

Fullerene (C₆₀), the third carbon allotrope, has shown great potential in photoelectric materials and drug delivery. However, the low solubility of C₆₀ in polar solvents, especially in water, is the major limiting factor for further applications. The use of ultrasound and amphiphilic block copolymers, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PEG-b-P4VP), helped to disperse C₆₀ in acidic aqueous solutions. As characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy, the C₆₀ colloids had a core-shell structure with C₆₀ aggregated in the micellar cores. The photosensitized generation of singlet oxygen using C₆₀-bound polymer micelle was confirmed by the iodide method. More importantly, C₆₀ and metalloporphyrin complexes could be synthesized by the self-assembly between PEG-b-P4VP/C₆₀ micelle and metalloporphyrin. The stability of metalloporphyrin increased in the presence of the PEG-b-P4VP/C₆₀ micelle. This study provides a method for the solubilization of C₆₀ with many potential applications in biomedicals and photovoltaics.