2018, Mendes, R.G., Wróbel, P.S., Bachmatiuk, A., Sun, J., Gemming, T., Liu, Z., Rümmeli, M.H.

The various forms of carbon nanostructures are providing extraordinary new opportunities that can revolutionize the way gas sensors, electrochemical sensors and biosensors are engineered. The great potential of carbon nanostructures as a sensing platform is exciting due to their unique electrical and chemical properties, highly scalable, biocompatible and particularly interesting due to the almost infinite possibility of functionalization with a wide variety of inorganic nanostructured materials and biomolecules. This opens a whole new pallet of specificity into sensors that can be extremely sensitive, durable and that can be incorporated into the ongoing new generation of wearable technology. Within this context, carbon-based nanostructures are amongst the most promising structures to be incorporated in a multi-functional platform for sensing. The present review discusses the various 1D, 2D and 3D carbon nanostructure forms incorporated into different sensor types as well as the novel functionalization approaches that allow such multi-functionality.

2018, Ghunaim, R., Scholz, M., Damm, C., Rellinghaus, B., Klingeler, R., Büchner, B., Mertig, M., Hampel, S.

In the present work, we demonstrate different synthesis procedures for filling carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with equimolar binary nanoparticles of the type Fe-Co. The CNTs act as templates for the encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticles and provide a protective shield against oxidation as well as prevent nanoparticle agglomeration. By variation of the reaction parameters, we were able to tailor the sample purity, degree of filling, the composition and size of the filling particles, and therefore, the magnetic properties. The samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The Fe-Co-filled CNTs show significant enhancement in the coercive field as compared to the corresponding bulk material, which make them excellent candidates for several applications such as magnetic storage devices.

2019, Requardt, Hendrik, Braun, Armin, Steinberg, Pablo, Hampel, Silke, Hansen, Tanja

The cytotoxicity of two different types of Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs)in A549 lung epithelial cells and HepG2 hepatocytes was investigated. One MWCNT still contained iron that was used as a catalyst during production, while the other one had all iron removed in a post-production heat treatment resulting in significantly fewer surface defects. The WST-8 assay was applied to test cell viability. To check the integrity of the cell membrane, we performed the lactate dehydrogenases assay (LDH)and measured the cellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Finally, to examine cell proliferation, we conducted a cell cycle analysis. The results showed a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability for both MWCNTs in both cell types. Moreover, a dose- and time-dependent increase in LDH leakage was detected, thereby indicating a decreased membrane integrity. The production of ROS was significantly increased in the case of the heat-treated MWCNTs. The heat-treated MWCNTs showed significantly stronger adverse effects when compared to the non-treated MWCNTs. Additionally, the heat-treated MWCNTs induced a dose-dependent cell cycle arrest in A549 cells. Both MWCNTs induced a significant cytotoxicity, whereby the heat treatment, leading to a decrease in surface defects, further increased the indicated adverse effects. © 2019 The Authors

2017, Kaufmann, Anika, Hampel, Silke, Rieger, Christiane, Kunhardt, David, Schendel, Darja, Füssel, Susanne, Schwenzer, Bernd, Erdmann, Kati

Background: In addition to conventional chemotherapeutics, nucleic acid-based therapeutics like antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODN) represent a novel approach for the treatment of bladder cancer (BCa). An efficient delivery of AS-ODN to the urothelium and then into cancer cells might be achieved by the local application of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). In the present study, pristine MWCNT and MWCNT functionalized with hydrophilic moieties were synthesized and then investigated regarding their physicochemical characteristics, dispersibility, biocompatibility, cellular uptake and mucoadhesive properties. Finally, their binding capacity for AS-ODN via hybridization to carrier strand oligodeoxynucleotides (CS-ODN), which were either non-covalently adsorbed or covalently bound to the different MWCNT types, was evaluated. Results: Pristine MWCNT were successfully functionalized with hydrophilic moieties (MWCNT-OH, -COOH, -NH2, -SH), which led to an improved dispersibility and an enhanced dispersion stability. A viability assay revealed that MWCNT-OH, MWCNT-NH2 and MWCNT-SH were most biocompatible. All MWCNT were internalized by BCa cells, whereupon the highest uptake was observed for MWCNT-OH with 40% of the cells showing an engulfment. Furthermore, all types of MWCNT could adhere to the urothelium of explanted mouse bladders, but the amount of the covered urothelial area was with 2-7% rather low. As indicated by fluorescence measurements, it was possible to attach CS-ODN by adsorption and covalent binding to functionalized MWCNT. Adsorption of CS-ODN to pristine MWCNT, MWCNT-COOH and MWCNT-NH2 as well as covalent coupling to MWCNT-NH2 and MWCNT-SH resulted in the best binding capacity and stability. Subsequently, therapeutic AS-ODN could be hybridized to and reversibly released from the CS-ODN coupled via both strategies to the functionalized MWCNT. The release of AS-ODN at experimental conditions (80 °C, buffer) was most effective from CS-ODN adsorbed to MWCNT-OH and MWCNT-NH2 as well as from CS-ODN covalently attached to MWCNT-COOH, MWCNT-NH2 and MWCNT-SH. Furthermore, we could exemplarily demonstrate that AS-ODN could be released following hybridization to CS-ODN adsorbed to MWCNT-OH at physiological settings (37 °C, urine). Conclusions: In conclusion, functionalized MWCNT might be used as nanotransporters in antisense therapy for the local treatment of BCa.

2014, Pondman, K.M., Sobik, M., Nayak, A., Tsolaki, A.G., Jäkel, A., Flahaut, E., Hampel, S., ten Haken, B., Sim, R.B., Kishore, U.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have promised a range of applications in biomedicine. Although influenced by the dispersants used, CNTs are recognized by the innate immune system, predominantly by the classical pathway of the complement system. Here, we confirm that complement activation by the CNT used continues up to C3 and C5, indicating that the entire complement system is activated including the formation of membrane-attack complexes. Using recombinant forms of the globular regions of human C1q (gC1q) as inhibitors of CNT-mediated classical pathway activation, we show that C1q, the first recognition subcomponent of the classical pathway, binds CNTs via the gC1q domain. Complement opsonisation of CNTs significantly enhances their uptake by U937 cells, with concomitant downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines in both U937 cells and human monocytes. We propose that CNT-mediated complement activation may cause recruitment of cellular infiltration, followed by phagocytosis without inducing a pro-inflammatory immune response. From the Clinical Editor: This study highlights the importance of the complement system in response to carbon nanontube administration, suggesting that the ensuing complement activation may cause recruitment of cellular infiltration, followed by phagocytosis without inducing a pro-inflammatory immune response.

2018, Ghunaim, R., Damm, C., Wolf, D., Lubk, A., Büchner, B., Mertig, M., Hampel, S.

In the present work, different synthesis procedures have been demonstrated to fill carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with Fe1-xNix alloy nanoparticles (x = 0.33, 0.5). CNTs act as templates for the encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticles, and provide a protective shield against oxidation as well as prevent nanoparticles agglomeration. By variation of the reaction parameters, the purity of the samples, degree of filling, the composition and size of filling nanoparticles have been tailored and therefore the magnetic properties. The samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Bright-field (BF) TEM tomography, X-ray powder diffraction, superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The Fe1-x Nix-filled CNTs show a huge enhancement in the coercive fields compared to the corresponding bulk materials, which make them excellent candidates for several applications such as magnetic storage devices.

2019, Lenz, Kilian, Narkowicz, Ryszard, Wagner, Kai, Reiche, Christopher F., Körner, Julia, Schneider, Tobias, Kákay, Attila, Schultheiss, Helmut, Weissker, Uhland, Wolf, Daniel, Suter, Dieter, Büchner, Bernd, Fassbender, Jürgen, Mühl, Thomas, Lindner, Jürgen

The magnetization dynamics of individual Fe-filled multiwall carbon-nanotubes (FeCNT), grown by chemical vapor deposition, are investigated by microresonator ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and Brillouin light scattering (BLS) microscopy and corroborated by micromagnetic simulations. Currently, only static magnetometry measurements are available. They suggest that the FeCNTs consist of a single-crystalline Fe nanowire throughout the length. The number and structure of the FMR lines and the abrupt decay of the spin-wave transport seen in BLS indicate, however, that the Fe filling is not a single straight piece along the length. Therefore, a stepwise cutting procedure is applied in order to investigate the evolution of the ferromagnetic resonance lines as a function of the nanowire length. The results show that the FeCNT is indeed not homogeneous along the full length but is built from 300 to 400 nm long single-crystalline segments. These segments consist of magnetically high quality Fe nanowires with almost the bulk values of Fe and with a similar small damping in relation to thin films, promoting FeCNTs as appealing candidates for spin-wave transport in magnonic applications. © 2019 The Authors. Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim