Surface enhanced Raman scattering detection of water-soluble derivatives of fullerene C60 and their covalent conjugates with dyes in biological model systems

Abstract

The potential of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for the detection of water-soluble fullerene derivatives and their covalent conjugates with xanthene dyes was investigated in model biological liposome membranes and in the albumin protein structure. It was shown that in liposomes and in albumin, fullerene derivatives and their covalent conjugates with dyes show characteristic SERS spectra, which allows detection of water-soluble fullerene derivatives in phosphatidylcholine liposomes at the lipid/fullerene derivative ratio of 100 as well as fullerene–dye conjugates in liposomes and albumin.