Fullerene Derivatives for Drug Delivery Applications

Abstract

Fullerene C60, an allotrope of carbon cage-like structure, exhibits unique physical and chemical properties, which show great potential for many biomedical applications. The fullerene surface can be functionalized with various chemical functional groups (like -NH2, -OH, -COOH) and modified with peptides and other biomolecules. The functionalized fullerene derivatives are known to exhibit anticancer, antimicrobial, and various other biomedical applications. Fullerene and its products represent a group of compounds with unique properties like flexible backbone structure that can be readily derivatized, high surface area, and stability. Fullerene and its derivatives are known to be biocompatible with reduced toxicity when used in biomedical applications. The unique physicochemical properties like high surface area and pore volume make them essential candidates for drug delivery applications. Therefore, the current chapter highlights various fullerene derivatives with different functionalization strategies and their efficient use as potential drug delivery carriers, especially in anticancer applications.