Compositions and methods related to targeted carbon nanostructures. More particularly, targeted carbon nanostructures comprising: a Cn, a cross-linker, and a targeting agent, wherein Cn refers to a fullerene moiety or nanotube comprising n carbon atoms. One example of a method may involve a method for imaging comprising: contacting a targeted carbon nanostructure and a cell; allowing the cell to internalize the carbon nanostructure; and detecting the presence of internalized carbon nanostructures.