Concentrations dominated membrane permeability variation by fullerol nanoparticles on a single living HeLa cell

The effects in HeLa cell membrane permeability caused by the fullerenols C60(OH)n with different concentrations were studied by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). We demonstrate that C60(OH)n has very low cytotoxicity, although it can still have strong effects on the cell membrane permeability. In the presence of 1 × 10−3 mg mL−1 (1 ppm) C60(OH)n, the cell membrane permeability increases by 26% after 76 min, which is reversible. When C60(OH)n concentration is over 25 × 10−3 mg mL−1 (25 ppm), the change in membrane permeability (increased 19%) is irreversible.