Adsorption of dodecahydroxylated-fullerene monolayers at the air-water interface

We study the adsorption behaviors of dodecahydroxylated-fullerene C-60(OH)(12) at the air-water interface. With the hydrophilicity imposed by the 12 hydroxy groups randomly bounded on the C-60 cage, C-60(OH)(12) can dissolve in water slightly. Surface pressure-area isotherms, Brewster angle microscopy, and neutron reflection results for the aqueous solutions of C-60(OH)(12) provide consistent evidence of adsorbed C-60(OH)(12) monolayers at the air-water interface. A Langmuir-Blodgett film of C-60(OH)(12), prepared from the sample solution with the vertical dipping method, is examined using atomic force microscopy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.