Invited Paper NS-WeA1
Chemical and Biological Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes

Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 2:00 pm, Room L

In the first part of the talk, we update covalent chemical strategies commonly used for the focused functionalization of single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) surfaces. In particular, we explore advances in the formation of nanotube derivatives that essentially maintain and even enhance their performance metrics after precise chemical modification. We especially highlight molecular insights (and corresponding correlation with properties) into the binding of functional moieties onto carbon nanotube surfaces. Controllable chemical functionalization suggests that the unique optical, electronic and mechanical properties of SWNTs can be much more readily tuned than ever before with key implications for the generation of truly functional nanoscale working devices.

In the second part of the talk, we investigate the biocompatibility, specificity, and activity of a ligand-receptor-protein system covalently bound to oxidized SWNTs as a model proof-of-concept for employing such SWNTs as biosensors. In the third part of the talk, we describe a novel SWNT-based tumor-targeted drug delivery system (DDS) which has been developed, consisting of a functionalized SWNT linked to tumor-targeting modules as well as prodrug modules. There are three key features of this nanoscale DDS: (a) use of functionalized SWNTs as a biocompatible platform for the delivery of therapeutic drugs or diagnostics, (b) conjugation of prodrug modules of an anticancer agent (taxoid with a cleavable linker) that is activated to its cytotoxic form inside the tumor cells upon internalization and in situ drug release, and (c) attachment of tumor-recognition modules (biotin and a spacer) to the nanotube surface.