Abstract

Outcomes of in vivo and in vitro biological studies of nanocarbon materials are varied and at times contradictory. Research suggests that nanocarbon materials (including pristine fullerenes) pose a risk to living systems. However, overall outcomes using pristine single and multiwalled nanocarbon fullerenes have been favorable and suggest biocompatibility. Variability in research outcomes results from not only the interaction of the material with biological systems but also the quality and consistency of fullerene material (such as, inconsistencies in purity, structure, processing, and functionalization of fullerenes) that pro-duce differences in characterization and properties even within the same batch. Due to the omnipresence of nanocarbon based material in the environment, it should be considered that biological systems long ago developed ways to detoxify and or exploit nanocarbon based material. The chief focus of this paper are the factors contributing to relative toxicity and biocompatibility of fullerene material and the variations in their absorption, biocoronation, degradation, and elimination. A review of more current research suggests that theoretical or in vitro generalizations regarding any biological hazards of fullerene material are speculative and inaccurate; their biological interactions should be considered and assessed in vivo. If factors affecting the relative toxicity of fullerenes and consistency in their production are addressed, valuable research could move forward to explore and unleash the potential applications and benefits of fullerenes in living systems.

Keywords: Allotrope; Aromatic ring; C₆₀; Cyclic native aggregation; Dielectric property; Hormesis; Fullerene; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial QED; Nanocarbon; OxPhos; Pharmacophore; Pi clouds; Shungite; Quantum electrodynamic

Abbreviations: ADME: Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion; CNO: Carbon Nano-onion; DMSO: Dimethyl Sulfoxide; EMF: Electromagnetic Field; EPO: Eosinophil Peroxidase; IVD: Intervertebral Disk; LPO: Lactoperoxidase; MPO: Myeloperoxidase; NOLF: Nanocarbon Onion-Like Fullerene; OXPHOS: Oxidative Phosphorylation; QED: Quantum Electrodynamics; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Species; THF: Tetrahydrofuran