CARBON NANOTUBES IN THE MEDICINE: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes possess many unusual physical and chemical intrinsic properties and have been intensively studied in recent years for biological and biomedical applications. We summarize the key findings from our and other groups in this area in this thorough analysis and explain that surface functionalization is crucial to the action of carbon nanotubes in biological systems. After surface passivation, ultrasensitive identification of biological species with carbon nanotubes can be performed to prevent the non-specific binding of biomolecules on the surface of the hydrophobic nanotube. A label-free approach to biological detection is provided by electrical nanosensors based on nanotubes. A process of protein microarray with detection sensitivity down to 1 fmol/L opens up surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of carbon nanotubes. In vitro and in vivo toxicity studies show that biocompatible, nontoxic, and potentially useful for biomedical applications are highly water soluble and serum stable nanotubes.