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. 2014 Aug 13;9(1):393.
doi: 10.1186/1556-276X-9-393. eCollection 2014.

Carbon nanotubes: properties, synthesis, purification, and medical applications

Ali Eatemadi  1 , Hadis Daraee  1 , Hamzeh Karimkhanloo  1 , Mohammad Kouhi  2 , Nosratollah Zarghami  1 , Abolfazl Akbarzadeh  3 , Mozhgan Abasi  1 , Younes Hanifehpour  4 , Sang Woo Joo  4
Affiliations

Carbon nanotubes: properties, synthesis, purification, and medical applications

Ali Eatemadi et al. Nanoscale Res Lett. .

Abstract

Current discoveries of different forms of carbon nanostructures have motivated research on their applications in various fields. They hold promise for applications in medicine, gene, and drug delivery areas. Many different production methods for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been introduced; functionalization, filling, doping, and chemical modification have been achieved, and characterization, separation, and manipulation of individual CNTs are now possible. Parameters such as structure, surface area, surface charge, size distribution, surface chemistry, and agglomeration state as well as purity of the samples have considerable impact on the reactivity of carbon nanotubes. Otherwise, the strength and flexibility of carbon nanotubes make them of potential use in controlling other nanoscale structures, which suggests they will have a significant role in nanotechnology engineering.

Keywords: Carbon nanostructures; Drug delivery; Flexibility; Nanotubes; Toxicity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic structure and TEM images of SWCNT and MWCNT. (A) Schematic structure of SWCNT and (B) MWCNT. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of a (C) SWCNT and (D) MWCNT [6-8].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Different forms of SWNTs. (A) The chiral vector C also determines the tube diameter. (B) Models of three atomically perfect SWCNT structures [10].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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