Impact of a physiological medium on the aggregation state of C60 and C70 fullerenes

The C 60 and C 70 fullerene-cluster size distribution in aqueous solutions and a physiological medium is studied via dynamic light scattering. The initial aqueous solutions of fullerenes obtained via different methods are found to contain clusters with a characteristic size of about 100 nm. The additional aggregation of fullerenes is observed after their transfer into a physiological medium (0.9% NaCl) and is established to depend on the preparation method. The cluster-size distribution in a fullerene–pectic-acid mixture is found to vary in water and a physiological medium. The results reveal the need for additional studies of the structure and properties of C 60 and C 70 molecules, as well as their complexes with medicines, in a physiological medium for medical applications.