Buckminsterfullerene-Containing Microemulsions

We have shown that C{sub 60}-containing microemulsions can be readily prepared. This opens up the possibility of studying C{sub 60} molecules in a medium which has significant practical applications. One of the most intriguing aspects of this work is the revelation of a local C{sub 60} environment, inside the micelles, which is largely aromatic and weakly polar. This shows that van der Waals interactions between a fullerene molecule and the aromatic {pi} cloud of the solvent molecules are important in bringing the solute into solution in a largely aliphatic micellar interior. 23 refs., 1 fig.