Colloidal Chemistry of Fullerene Solutions

Colloidal chemistry of fullerene solutions investigates how C₆₀, C₇₀ and related cage-like molecules organise and stabilise when dispersed in various solvents. Depending on solvent polarity, solvation strength and preparation method, fullerenes form either true molecular solutions or nanoscale aggregates, leading to hydrosols in water and organosols in organic media. Stability is governed by the balance of van der Waals attraction and electrostatic repulsion as described by DLVO theory, and can be tuned via zeta potential, Hamaker constant and non-covalent interactions. Both equilibrium and non-equilibrium techniques yield distinctive particle sizes, shapes and surface chemistries with implications for photonic materials, drug delivery, catalysis and environmental remediation. Advances in polymer-assisted stabilisation, solvent-driven self-assembly and light-induced clustering have deepened our understanding of aggregation kinetics, crystallisation pathways and functional properties of fullerene colloids.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that solvent selection and composition can direct the self-assembly of fullerene molecules into highly symmetric flower-shaped crystals with sixfold symmetry, revealing how differential solubility of C₆₀ and C₇₀ in aromatic solvents promotes nucleation and controlled lateral growth of complex architectures. In a complementary approach, simple mechanical manipulation of bulk fullerene solids has been shown to generate nanoparticles below 20 nm without specialised equipment, highlighting unanticipated routes to colloidal formation and emphasising potential exposure pathways that must be considered in environmental and safety assessments.

Colloidal Chemistry of Fullerene Solutions publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in colloidal chemistry of fullerene solutions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Colloid: A system in which fine particles (1–1000 nm) are dispersed uniformly throughout a continuous medium.

Zeta potential: The electric potential at the slipping plane of a colloidal particle, indicating its surface charge and stability.

Dynamic light scattering: A technique that measures fluctuations in scattered light to determine the size distribution of nanoparticles in suspension.

DLVO theory: A framework describing colloidal stability as the sum of electrostatic repulsion and van der Waals attraction between particles.

Hamaker constant: A parameter quantifying the strength of van der Waals forces between colloidal particles in a given medium.

Non-covalent complex: An assembly of molecules held together by intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds, π–π interactions or van der Waals forces.

Organosol: A colloidal dispersion in which the continuous phase is an organic solvent rather than water.

References

1. Hydrophilization and Functionalization of Fullerene C60 with Maleic Acid Copolymers by Forming a Non-Covalent Complex. Polymers (2024).
2. Colloid Chemistry of Fullerene Solutions: Aggregation and Coagulation. Liquids (2023).
3. Fullerene oxidation and clustering in solution induced by light. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2015).
4. Unique Crystallization of Fullerenes: Fullerene Flowers. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. Non-Engineered Nanoparticles of C60. Scientific Reports (2013).
6. Behavior of fullerene C70 in binary organic solvent mixtures as studied using UV-Vis spectra and dynamic light scattering. Kharkov University Bulletin Chemical Series (2019).