To what extent can mutual shifting of folded carbonaceous walls in slit-like pores affect their adsorption properties?

We have performed systematic Monte Carlo studies on the influence of shifting the walls in slit-like systems constructed from folded graphene sheets on their adsorption properties. Specifically, we have analysed the effect on the mechanism of argon adsorption (T = 87 K) and on adsorption and separation of three binary gas mixtures: CO2/N2, CO2/CH4 and CH4/N2 (T = 298 K). The effects of the changes in interlayer distance were also determined. We show that folding of the walls significantly improves the adsorption and separation properties in comparison to ideal slit-like systems. Moreover, we demonstrate that mutual shift of sheets (for small interlayer distances) causes the appearance of small pores between opposite bulges. This causes an increase in vapour adsorption at low pressures. Due to overlapping of interactions with opposite walls causing an increase in adsorption energy, the mutual shift of sheets is also connected with the rise in efficiency of mixtures separation. The effects connected with sheet orientation vanish as the interlayer distance increases

The Chemistry of Bioconjugation in Nanoparticles-Based Drug Delivery System

Nanomedicine is, generally, the application of nanotechnology to medicine. The term nanomedicine includes monitoring, construction of novel drug delivery systems, and any possible future applications of nanotechnology and nanovaccinology. In this review, the most important ligand-nanocarrier and drug-nanocarrier bioconjugations are described. The detailed characterizations of covalently formed bonds between targeted ligand and nanocarrier, including amide, thioether, disulfide, acetyl-hydrazone and polycyclic groups, are described. Also, the coupling of small elements and heteroatoms in the form of R-X-R the “click chemistry” groups is shown. Physical adsorption and chemical bonding of drug to nanocarrier surface involving drug on the internal or external surfaces of nanocarriers are described throughout possibility of the formation of the above-mentioned functionalities. Moreover, the most popular nanostructures (liposomes, micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, and nanohorns) are characterized as nanocarriers. Building of modern drug carrier is a new method which could be effectively applied in targeted anticancer therapy

Carbon nanohorns

As it was mentioned by Peter Harris in his fundamental book Carbon Nanotube Science, there is uncertainty surrounding the question who actually discovered CNTs, and this probably explains why no Nobel Prize has been awarded in this area. However, in the case of single-walled carbon nanohorn (SWCNH), there are no doubts that they were discovered by Iijima et al. in 1999. From that time, SWCNHs have been subjected to intensive experimental and theoretical studies. In this chapter, we discuss the synthesis and structure of SWCNHs and the morphology and application of those materials. We also discuss the process of nanowindow creation and control, SWCNH filling with, for example, fullerenes and drugs, and recent progress in the creation of realistic atomistic model of SWCNH. Finally, we discuss the most promising applications of SWCNH basing on the reports of different authors as well as on the simulation results reported in our group

Medical Aspects of Nanostructural Carbonaceous Materials

Praca przedstawia krótki przegląd literaturowy z zakresu zastosowania nanostrukturalnych materiałów węglowych jako potencjalnych kontenerów dostarczania leków czy swoistych markerów. Nanorurki węglowe ze względu na swoje specyficzne właściwości mogą z powodzeniem zostać zastosowane w nowoczesnych nośnikach leków III generacji. Badania te niosą ze sobą wiele nadziei, ale także i obaw, gdyż wszystko, co nowe, nie do końca poznane, może zaskoczyć badaczy. Nadzieje, jakie budzi nanotechnologia w medycynie, a w szczególności w onkologii i diagnostyce medycznej, są tak ogromne, że rzesze badaczy na całym świecie nie zrażają się ani wielkimi kosztami, ani sceptycznym podejściem tzw. ostrożnych naukowców do pracy nad udoskonaleniem nanocząstek, aby były jak najbardziej kompatybilne z organizmem ludzkim, nietoksyczne i biodegradowalne. Gdyby udało się na szeroką skalę rozpowszechnić terapie onkologiczne przy zastosowaniu nanocząstek, wielu chorych zostałoby uratowanych przy minimalnych skutkach ubocznych zastosowanego leczenia.The paper presents a brief literature review of the scope of nanostructural carbonaceous materials as potential drug containers or specific markers. Carbon nanotubes, due to their specific properties, can be successfully used in modern drug carriers of the 3rd generation. These studies bring a lot of hope, but also some fear because everything new, not fully understood, may surprise researchers. The hopes aroused by using the nanotechnology in medicine, particularly in oncology and medical diagnostics, are so huge that the numbers of researchers around the world bounces back neither at great expense, nor the so-called skepticism of so-called conservative researchers. It is still necessary to work over the improvement of nanoparticles, to be as compatible as possible with the human body, non-toxic and biodegradable. If new technologies in cancer therapies could be widely disseminated, many patients would have been saved, with minimal side effects of the treatment

The Cytotoxicity Analysis of New Platin Drug Carrier

Przedstawiono zastosowanie nanorurek węglowych jako potencjalnych kontenerów leków platynowych. Nanorurki węglowe ze względu na swoje właściwości mogą z powodzeniem zostać zastosowane w nowoczesnych nośnikach leków. Budowanie nowych systemów dostarczania chemioterapeutyków na bazie nanorurek węglowych jest nowatorską metodą leczenia chorób nowotworowych. Celem pracy jest przedstawienie metod biokoniugacji cytostatyków. Chemioterapeutyk może zostać umieszczony we wnętrzu nanorurki węglowej bądź na jej zewnętrznej powierzchni. Metody wprowadzania leków obejmują oddziaływania niekowalencyjne (adsorpcję) oraz kowalencyjne tworzące grupy: estrowe, amidowe i N-acetylohydrazonu. Dodatkowo, tematyka pracy skierowana jest na analizę badań cytotoksycznych nowatorskich układów nanonośników dostarczających związki kompleksowe platyny przeciwko komórkom nowotworowym różnego typu: głowy, szyi, czerniaka, piersi czy jajników. Zastosowanie nowych nośników leków daje możliwości uzyskania satysfakcjonujących rezultatów leczenia chorób nowotworowych.The article includes the results showing application of carbon nanotubes as potential containers of platin drug. Carbon nanotubes have special properties which are very useful and suitable in the building of modern drug delivery systems. Traditional anticancer therapy is usually in effective because of a low selective action of drugs and their minimized biodistribution in organism. Moreover, this chemotherapy is associated with high risk of recurrence or unsatisfactory effectiveness and undesirable side effects. The formation of new drug delivery system based on carbon nanotubes is innovative method of anticancer treatment. This idea includes the branch of nanomedicine expanding the traditional medicine. The major purposes of nanomedicine are construction of drug delivery systems and noninvasive treatment. We described the types of drug associations to carbon nanotubes. Chemotherapeutics could be aggregated on the internal surface of nanocarriers, mainly by nanoextraction and nanocondensation process. The drugs linked with the external surface of carbon nanotubes can be linked by covalent or noncovalent bonds. The adsorption is connected with π-π interaction. In turn, the chemical bonds between the drug and the surface of carbon nanotubes can form ester, acethylhydrazone and amide groups. The types of reactions depend on the functional groups which are offered by the nanocarrier and the structure of drug. In most cases, surface of carbon nanotubes must be initially modified. This functionalization is associated with the covering with polymers as polyethylene glycol or the application of oxidation process. Additionally, the special modification of carbon nanotubes surface makes them biocompatible. The purpose of this study is to describe the analysis of cytotoxicity of new drug delivery systems based on carbon nanotubes and platin compounds. The new drugs delivery systems based on carbon nanotubes should minimize side effects and improve final results of therapy. These effects are confirmed in the literature. These cited papers proved that the application of carbon nanotubes in delivery system of platin compounds is useful during anticancer therapy and can give the positive effect in future

To what extent can mutual shifting of folded carbonaceous walls in slit-like pores affect their adsorption properties?

We have performed systematic Monte Carlo studies on the influence of shifting the walls in slit-like systems constructed from folded graphene sheets on their adsorption properties. Specifically, we have analysed the effect on the mechanism of argon adsorption (T  =  87 K) and on adsorption and separation of three binary gas mixtures: CO2/N2, CO2/CH4 and CH4/N2 (T  =  298 K). The effects of the changes in interlayer distance were also determined. We show that folding of the walls significantly improves the adsorption and separation properties in comparison to ideal slit-like systems. Moreover, we demonstrate that mutual shift of sheets (for small interlayer distances) causes the appearance of small pores between opposite bulges. This causes an increase in vapour adsorption at low pressures. Due to overlapping of interactions with opposite walls causing an increase in adsorption energy, the mutual shift of sheets is also connected with the rise in efficiency of mixture separation. The effects connected with sheet orientation vanish as the interlayer distance increases

Water at curved carbon surface: Mechanisms of adsorption revealed by first calorimetric study

Water adsorption isotherms and calorimetrically measured enthalpy of this process are reported for a series of modified chemically single and multiwalled nanotubes. On the basis of calorimetric measurements, entropy of adsorption is calculated and discussed. Next the data are described using popular models of adsorption, and finally a new approach for simultaneous description of water adsorption and enthalpy of this process is discussed. On the basis of the results of this model, four different possible mechanisms of water adsorption in nanotubes are proposed