Cyclodextrin-fullerenes: a new class of water-soluble fullerenes

Solubilization of fullerenes in water by nucleophilic addition of cyclodextrin-R-monoamines to C-60, where R represents iminoalkyl and iminoaryl residues, is reported and studies involving the host-guest characteristics, free radical scavenging and DNA-cleaving properties indicate that this class of compounds has potential for a number of biological and medical applications.