Implications and potential applications of bactericidal fullerene water suspensions: effect of nC(60) concentration, exposure conditions and shelf life.

Stable fullerene water suspensions (nC(60)) exhibited potent antibacterial activity to physiologically different bacteria in low-salts media over a wide range of exposure conditions. Antibacterial activity was observed in the presence or absence of light or oxygen, and increased with both exposure time and dose. The activity was also influenced by the nC(60) storage conditions and by the age of the buckminsterfullerene (C(60)) used to make nC(60). These results reflect the potential impact of nC(60) on the health of aquatic ecosystems and suggest novel alternatives for disinfection and microbial control.