Electron transfer mediation by aqueous C₆₀ aggregates in H₂O₂/UV advanced oxidation of indigo carmine.

C60 fullerene has long been known to exhibit favorable electron accepting and shuttling properties, but little is known about the possibility of electron transfer mediation by fullerene aggregates (nC60) in water. In this study, we investigated the electron shuttling capabilities of nC60 using UV/H2O2 as a model oxidation process in the presence of an electron donor, indigo carmine (IC). nC60 addition to the IC/H2O2 system was found to drastically increase IC degradation and shift the reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance, favoring the formation of superoxide and perhydroxyl radical species compared to hydroxyl radicals. Results indicate that nC60 can act as an electron mediator, where the adsorbed IC donates an electron to nC60, which is subsequently transferred to H2O2 or perhydroxyl radical.