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

The effect of various surfactants on aggregation of fullerene C60 is discussed. Formation of ordered structures via C60-surfactant interactions at a specific [C60]/[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 [C60]/[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 C60 molecules, with pristine fullerene C60 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 C60 as well as for fabrication of nanomaterials with novel optoelectronic properties.