The total quenching rate constants (sum of physical quenching and chemical reaction) of singlet oxygen O-1(2) by various fullerenes (C-60, C-70, C-76, C-82, La@C-82, Ce@C-82, Ce-2@C-80) were determined. The O-1(2) quenching capabilities of C-82 and endohedral metallofullerenes are found to be comparable to that of beta-carotene, a well-known strong O-1(2) quencher. This remarkable O-1(2) quenching by metallofullerenes is explicable in terms of a combination of energy and charge transfer processes. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.