The cover picture shows the structure of a water-soluble C 60 -carrying single-chain ammonium amphiphile, 10-(N-Methyl-2-fulleropyrrolidyl)decyltrimethylammonium bromide (1; bottom left), and a typical transmission electron microscopic (TEM) image of 1 in aqueous solution (bottom right). The TEM image revealed that the aqueous solution of 1 forms both fibrous and disk-like aggregates 10 ± 12 nm thick through self-organization of 1 (top). The synthesis, morphology, and electrochemistry of the amphiphile 1 are described in detail by N. Nakashima et al. on p. 1766 ff.

The synthesis of a water-soluble C60-carrying single-chain ammonium amphiphile, 10- (N-methyl-2-fulleropyrrolidyl)decyltrimethylammonium bromide (1) as well as the characterization of aqueous solutions and cast films of 1 are described. X-ray diffraction study suggests that cast films of 1 form a multilayer structure based on biomembrane-like molecular bilayers. Electron microscopy has revealed that 1 produces both fibrous and disk-like aggregates with 10-12 nm of thickness through self-organization of 1 in aqueous solution. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, FTIR, and UV-visible absorption studies were also carried out to characterize aqueous solutions and cast films of 1. Electrochemistry for an aqueous solution and for cast films of just 1 and 1 incorporated in lipid films on electrodes was conducted. It was found that films of just 1 and of 1/lipid cast on electrodes showed electron transfer reactions leading to the generation of the fullerene dianion or trianion. In contrast, electrochemistry of aqueous solution of 1 at a bare electrode gives a cathodic current near -0.5 to -0.6 V against SCE; however, an anodic current for the solution did not appear.

A water-soluble C60-terminating ammonium surfactant, 1, was synthesized. Electron microscopy revealed that 1 forms a fibrous aggregate in an aqueous solution. Electronic interaction between the fullerene moieties in 1 in the aqueous solution was observed. Electrochemistry for 1 aqueous solutions was found to be quite different from that of 1 in the film states.

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