Tuning the Morphology and State of Aggregation of Fullerene C60 using Non-ionic Surfactants

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 × 10 –3 : 1. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the as-formed rod-like assembles had the dimensions of ~220 × 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.