A peptide topological template for the dispersion of [60]fullerene in water

Abstract

Solubilization of [60]fullerene in water is a major challenge for biological and medical applications. To this purpose in this communication we describe for the first time a new dispersing system based on a peptide topological template. The presence of two carbobenzyloxy groups on the peptide side chains allows π–π interactions with [60]fullerene leading to the formation of stable supramolecular nanocomposites by means of mechanochemical methods. In particular, by high speed vibration milling colloidal dispersions (mean particle diameter 63 nm) containing up to 1.3 mg mL⁻¹ of [60]fullerene were obtained. Its presence in water was verified through UV-Vis and MALDI-TOF measurements, while its concentration was determined by thermogravimetric analysis.