Electrochemically generated fluorescent fullerene[60] nanoparticles as a new and viable bioimaging platform

Aqueous solutions of fluorescent ultrafine C-60 nanoparticles have been successfully prepared by an electrochemical method, which involves reducing a C-60 film to C-60(3-) anions in the presence of tetrabutylammonium (TBA(+)) cations in acetonitrile solution and transferring to water. The nanoparticles are highly emissive in the visible region. The structure of the fluorescent C-60 nanoparticles was deduced as a similar to 5 nm sphere with a solid core of aggregated C-60 and an anionic shell of C-60(3-), which renders the nanoparticles water soluble. The photostable and nontoxic C-60 nanoparticles can easily penetrate into live cells, and are thus primed for a host of biomedical applications.