Fullerene is a carbon allotrope of carbon, like diamond
Fullerene, like diamond, is a carbon allotrope (a molecule consisting of a single element), and it is also the generic chemical name of a polyhedron including 60 carbon atoms (C60). The diameter of a C60 molecule is about 0.7 nm (1 nm = 1/1,000,000,000 m). The structure of C60 is that of a truncated icosahedron, which resembles a soccer ball. Carbon is an essential element for humans, and the discovery of fullerene represented a landmark achievement. Scientists recognized the vast potential of fullerene in many applications. By October 2008, approximately 40,000 research papers on the subject of fullerene were published. Further, in Japan, 2,400 applications for patents related to fullerene have been submitted and published thus far. These numbers are expected to increase every year1。
Fullerene was a Nobel Prize-winning discovery
Fullerene was discovered accidentally in 1985 by Dr. Kroto (then of the University of Sussex, Great Britain), who was studying interstellar materials (trace substances in space), and Drs. Curl and Smalley of Rice University, US, who were studying the spectroscopy of cluster2. Drs. Kroto, Curl and Smalley were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 for their contributions to the discovery of fullerene (C60) and the prediction of its structure. After the discovery of fullerenes, Dr. Kratschmer of Max-Planck-Institut and Dr. Huffman of the University of Arizona succeeded in isolating the molecule in measurable amounts. They developed a process for the production of C60 and C70, which comprised of evaporating graphite in an atmosphere of inert helium gas at reduced pressures. They also verified the existence of soccer-ball-shaped C60 molecules3. Subsequently, Dr. Smalley developed the arc discharge method, which is capable of producing C60 in grams and currently, it is the most common method of fullerene synthesis4. Later, Dr. Howard of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology synthesized fullerenes using benzene-oxygen flames5. This method will be useful for a more economical production of fullerenes.
Fullerene occurs in nature
Since its discovery, scientists have investigated the occurrence of fullerene in nature and have found evidence that since ancient times, fullerene has existed in nature in trace amounts. Recent studies have revealed that fullerene is present in shungite, a natural carbonaceous mineral found in the Karelian Republic of Russia6, as well as in high-quality ink produced in China7, and in space (0.3-0.9% of interstellar carbon)8.
It absorbs free radicals like a sponge
In 1991, a paper published in Science9, one of the most prestigious journals of its kind, shocked researchers in the field of life sciences. The paper reported that fullerene absorbs and eliminates radicals such as reactive molecular species, including active oxygen, which is hazardous to living organisms at the molecular level and essentially detoxifies these substances. Needless to say, this paper initiated a series of studies devoted to the bioactivity of fullerenes.
Potential for pharmaceutical applications
Many aggressive studies are currently underway to search for pharmaceutical products that can capitalize on the remarkable bioactivity of fullerenes. To date, various fullerene properties, such as its ability to eliminate radicals and its molecular structure have been exploited. Endohedral metallofullerenes (fullerenes with a metal ion trapped inside the fullerene cage) have shown potential for use as diagnostic and medicinal agents for cancer. Many reports indicate the potential of fullerene derivatives in the treatment of severe diseases such as AIDS, cancer, various microbial infections, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis10, and osteoarthritis11.
Vitamin C60 BioResearch Corporation has pioneered the commercialization of fullerene by using it as a sophisticated cosmetic component
Vitamin C60 BioResearch Corporation was established in 2003 with the goal of manufacturing products that make effective use of the biological properties of fullerene, which is a molecule with a fascinating history and remarkable features. By October 2008, a product developed by us that contains fullerene as a sophisticated cosmetic component has been used in more than 300 cosmetic items.
- Our survey by SciFinder and Industrial Property Digital Library.
- H.W. Kroto, J.R. Heath, S.C. O’Brien, R.F. Curl, R.E. Smalley, C60: Buckminsterfullerene. Nature (1985) 318, 162 - 163.
- W. Kratschmer, L.D. Lamb, K. Fostiropoulos, D.R. Huffman, Solid C60: a new form of carbon. Nature (1990) 347, 354 - 358.
- 4． R.E. Haufler, J. Conceicao, L.P.F. Chibante, Y. Chai, N.E. Byrne, S. Flanagan, M.M. Haley, S.C. O'Brien, C. Pan, Z. Xiao, W.E. Billups, M.A. Ciufolini, R.H. Hauge, J.M. Margrave, L.J. Wilson, R.F. Curl, R.E. Smalley, Efficient production of C60 (buckminsterfullerene), C60H36, and the solvated buckide ion. J Phys Chem (1990) 94, 8634 - 8636.
- J.B. Howard, J.T. McKinnon, Y. Makarovsky, A.L. Lafleur, M.E. Johnson, Fullerenes C60 and C70 in flames. Nature (1991) 352, 139 - 141.
- P.R. Buseck, S.J. Tsipursky, R. Hettich, Fullerenes from the Geological Environment. Science (1992) 257, 215 - 217.
- E. Osawa，Does C60 Exist in the world Oldest Chinese Ink Stick? Kikan Kagaku Sousetsu (1999) 43, 230 - 231.
- B.H. Foing, P. Ehrenfreund, Detection of two interstellar absorption bands coincident with spectral features of C60+. Nature (1994) 369, 296 - 298.
- P.J. Krusic, E.Wasserman, P.N. Keizer, J.R. Morton, K.F. Preston, Radical Reactions of C60. Science (1991) 254, 1183 - 1185.
- S. Thakral, RM. Mehta, Fullerenes: An introduction and overview of their biological properties. Indian J Pharm Sci (2006) 68, 13 - 19.
- K. Yudoh, K. Shishido, H. Murayama, M. Yano, K. Matsubayashi, H. Takada, H. Nakamura, K. Masuko, T. Kato, K. Nishioka, Water-soluble C60 fullerene prevents degeneration of articular cartilage in osteoarthritis via down-regulation of chondrocyte catabolic activity and inhibition of cartilage degeneration during disease development. Arthritis Rheum (2007) 56, 3307 - 18.
