Improved antioxidative performance of a water-soluble copper nanoparticle@fullerenol composite formed via photochemical reduction.

Though fullerene has been regarded as an effective radical scavenger, the hydrophobicity strongly limits its application in biological fields. Herein, we proposed a simple photoreduction method in preparing a highly water-soluble nanocomposite consisting of ultrasmall copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and hydroxylated fullerene (fullerenol), which showed excellent radical scavenging performance compared with traditional antioxidants. The superb antioxidative behavior was believed to be due to the synergetic effect induced by the stable decoration of CuNPs onto the surface of fullerenol, while the low metal loading level would decrease the potential toxicity of the prepared composite. Our work will offer an alternative choice for efficient antioxidative agents with more biosafety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]