Of
the many fullerene derivatives that have been examined, cationic
functionalization has proven to be most promising for aqueous or biological
applications. Until recently, however, no cationic colloidal fullerene
aggregates in the nanosize regime have been characterized in the aqueous
phase. The results presented here represent the most rapid and efficient,
to the best of our knowledge, viral inactivation reported for any
colloidal fullerene aggregates. Tris-adducted fulleropyrrolidinium
aggregates are prepared and analyzed for concentration-dependent singlet
oxygen (1O2) production and MS2 bacteriophage
inactivation. Experiments are performed under visible, UVA, and sunlight
irradiation with the addition of natural organic matter (NOM) to simulate
environmental conditions. Viral inactivation was observed at sensitizer
concentrations in the nanomolar range. A 5-log inactivation of MS2
was observed after 4 or 1 min of sunlight exposure with 250 nM fullerenes
with or without NOM, respectively. The environmental implications
of these results are discussed in the context of previously reported 1O2-mediated MS2 inactivation.
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