One‐step Synthesis of Water‐soluble Fullerenols Bearing Nitrogen‐containing Substituents

Abstract

We found a facile one‐step synthetic method for water‐soluble fullerenols bearing 8–16 nitrogen‐containing substituents as well as more than 16 hydroxyl groups from commercially available C₆₀ as a starting material. The water solubility of one of the products showed the same as the highest one reported (>200 mg/mL). Other fullerenols bearing hydrogen or diethylamino group on the same fullerene cage were also synthesized by the modified method using hydrogen peroxide as a simple hydroxylation reagent.

Keywords:

• Fullerenol
• Water solubility
• One‐step synthesis
• Ammonia
• Amino group

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was partly supported by Industrial Technology Research Grant Program in 2006 from New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan.