The electrostatically self-assembled C60(OH)n-Ca nanoparticles exhibit superior photodynamic antibacterial properties and cytocompatibility

Carbon nanomaterial is a momentous field of current biomedical research. However, extensive exploration is still required to endow carbon nanomaterial with both antibacterial properties and biological safety. In this study, fullerenol and calcium ions were synthesized into C 60 (OH) n -Ca nanoparticles through an electrostatic self-assembly strategy. Morphological and chemical analyses revealed that the C 60 (OH) n -Ca nanoparticles contained 4.52 at.% Ca, with a minimum size of approximately 10 nm. The electrostatic self-assembly did not alter the chemical structure of the fullerenol. The photodynamic antibacterial effect of the C 60 (OH) n -Ca nanoparticles was concentration-dependent, showing antibacterial rates of 94 % and 96.6 % against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at a concentration of 100 μg/mL, while the antibacterial effect was unsatisfactory under dark conditions. Additionally, C 60 (OH) n -Ca nanoparticles promoted the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells, demonstrating desirable biological safety. The C 60 (OH) n -Ca nanoparticles synthesized in this article achieved a balance between antibacterial and cytocompatibility, thus possess potential applications in biomedical fields.