Cisplatin filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes – a novel molecular hybrid of anticancer drug container

Here, a study on Cisplatin (cis-Diammineplatinum(II) dichloride – CDDP) insertion within multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via capillary forces is presented. The employment of MWCNTs as anticancer drug nano-vectors is suggested by the harmful side effects occurring after the chemotherapeutic treatment due to the lack of selectivity of the chemotherapeutic agents in general. Cisplatin is widely used as a powerful cell-killer but without any cell-specificity. Via high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) CDDP clusters inserted into MWCNTs were detected. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed the signal of CDDP constitutive elements. Raman Spectroscopy and InfraRed analysis excluded the presence of the drug on the tubes outer shell. Thermogravimetric (TGA) study was exploited to evaluate the purity of the material and to calculate the amount of CDDP incorporated into the tubes. A time dependent release of CDDP indicated that the outflow took place in the range between 12 and 48 h. After this time ~95% of the drug previously embedded was discharged