Surface properties of fullerenol C60(OH)20 solutions

The surface properties of fullerenol C60(OH)20 solutions differ significantly from the properties of solutions of more hydrophilic fullerenols. At concentrations below 1 g/l, dynamic surface elasticity proves to be very high (up to 300 mN/m), while surface tension decreases only slightly. The adsorption layer is very sensitive to mechanical perturbations of the solution surface, and surface elasticity decreases under surface compression. The adsorption layer is macroscopically homogeneous but contains microscopic aggregates. The layer can be easily transferred from the liquid surface onto a solid support. [Display omitted] •Fullerenols form macroscopically homogeneous layers at the solution-air interface.•The fullerenol adsorption layer can be easily transferred onto solid surface by the Langmuir-Schaeffer method.•The surface properties of fullerenol solutions are very sensitive to small mechanical perturbations.•The adsorption layer of C60(OH)20 is more fragile than that of C60(OH)30.