Quantification of C60 fullerene concentrations in water

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Growing use of nanomaterials raises concerns about their environmental fate, especially in aquatic systems.
• Accurate detection and quantification of nanomaterials in complex water matrices are essential.
• Carbon60 fullerenes (nC60) are of particular interest due to widespread nanocarbon technology applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate methods for separating and concentrating nC60 from various water types.
• To quantify nC60 concentrations using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS).
• To establish detection limits for nC60 in challenging aqueous environments.

Main Methods:

• Stable aqueous nC60 aggregates (60-70 nm) were prepared.
• Three separation and concentration techniques were investigated: evaporation, NaCl extraction into toluene, and solid-phase extraction (SPE).
• Quantification was performed using LC/MS, which detects C60 as single molecules.

Main Results:

• UV analysis was unsuitable for complex water due to interferences and aggregation.
• Evaporation and NaCl extraction methods showed limitations in complex matrices.
• Solid-phase extraction enabled quantification of nC60 down to 300 ng/L in ultrapure and tap water.

Conclusions:

• SPE is an effective method for separating and concentrating nC60 from complex water samples for LC/MS analysis.
• This study presents the first report on extraction methods for nC60 from tap water and their LC/MS detection limits.
• The developed LC/MS method provides a sensitive approach for monitoring nC60 in environmental waters.