Carbon Nanotubed Mediated Drug Delivery Approach Using Novel Antimicrobials

<p><strong>Original Conference Abstract</strong></p> <p>     The idea of employing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as potential drug delivery vehicles is more than a decade old but a still emerging hot topic in the field. What still keep this topic so hot are not only the outstanding physical/chemical (high aspect ratio, strength, functionality...) properties of CNTs that have initially attracted scientists, but especially their potential side effects on the biological systems that left the researchers unconvinced for many years. The lack of standardized research methodology resulting in conflicting conclusions on the side effects of these unnatural/artificial materials have caused the CNTs to be highly questioned for the employment in biological applications. Consequently, the question of “whether the CNTs are really toxic” has become the most popular research problem.<br>     In the light of the conflicting literature data and the “unanswered toxicity” problems, CNT mediated cellular delivery of CNTs has been taken under investigation using novel antimicrobial agents. The recent study is not only expected to bring the novel antimicrobials into use but also to give answers on: i) the most reliable and stable methods for CNT functionalizations, ii) the most appropriate intra-cellular delivery mechanism for the drug, iii) the fate of CNTs after drug delivery, their bio-compatibility, iv) effects of different variables in the CNT properties, and, v) target based outcomes of the novel antimicrobial utilization in CNT research in comparison to the other reported active agents.<strong> </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>(The poster was awarded the "3rd Best Poster Award" at <em>Bioinnovation & ScanBalt Forum - International Conference on Molecular Biotechnology and Innovations for Healthy Life, Gdańsk | 16-18 of October 2013</em>)</p

Bis-phosphonated carbon nanotubes: One pot synthesis and their application as efficient adsorbent of mercury

<p>Effective, one-pot method of CNTs phosphonylation is presented. Cheap and readily available reagents are used, so the process can be easily transferred to large-scale production. The product was analyzed using spectroscopic methods (FTIR, UV-vis, XPS). Thermal properties of the bis-phosphonated nanotubes are reported for the first time. Newly obtained material was tested as an adsorbent for mercury removal from water. The sorption capacity for newly developed adsorbent was as high as 223.7 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics were studied within framework of Lagergren model, and Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms have been described. The effect of pH on the adsorption process has been evaluated and the optimal environmental conditions were determined to be neutral. The presence of bivalent ions Cd²⁺, Ni²⁺ in the solution did not affect adsorption efficiency of novel materials.</p