Review of Synthesis and Antioxidant Potential of Fullerenol Nanoparticles

This review describes the chemical synthesis of polar polyhydroxylated fullerene C-60 derivatives, fullerenols C-60(OH)(n), 2 <= n <= 44, C-60 HzOx(OH)(y), and polyanion fullerenols C-60(OH)(15)(ONa)(9), ranging from the very first synthetic methods up to some contemporary approaches to synthesis and separation. It also provides some basic information about physical characteristics of fullerenols. With the increasing number of hydroxyl groups, water solubility of fullerenols increases as well. Fullerenols both in water and biological media build nanoparticles of different dimensions and stability. In different chemical and biological model systems a large number of various polyhydroxylated fullerene derivatives were tested and they showed both their antioxidative and prooxidative characteristics. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the antioxidant activity of fullerenol. In addition, this paper also provides insight into patents referring to the antioxidant properties of fullerenol.