11 research outputs found
Cisplatin filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes â a novel molecular hybrid of anticancer drug container
Here, a study on Cisplatin (cis-Diammineplatinum(II)
dichloride â 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 48Â h. After this time ~95% of the drug previously embedded was
discharged