Preparation and toxicological assessment of functionalized carbon nanotube-polymer hybrids

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 17;9(9):e107029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107029. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Novel Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Hybrids were synthesized as potential materials for the development of membranes for water treatment applications in the field of Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs). Due to the toxicological concerns regarding the use of nanomaterials in water treatment as well as the rising demand for safe drinking water to protect public health, we studied the functionalization of MWCNTs and Thin-MWCNTs as to control their properties and increase their ability of embedment into porous anisotropic polymeric membranes. Following the growth of the hydrophilic monomer on the surface of the properly functionalized CNTs, that act as initiator for the controlled radical polymerization (ATRP) of sodium styrene sulfonate (SSNa), the antimicrobial quaternized phosphonium and ammonium salts were attached on CNTs-g-PSSNa through non-covalent bonding. In another approach the covalent attachment of quaternized ammonium polymeric moieties of acrylic acid-vinyl benzyl chloride copolymers with N,N-dimethylhexadecylamine (P(AA12-co-VBCHAM)) on functionalized CNTs has also been attempted. Finally, the toxicological assessment in terms of cell viability and cell morphological changes revealed that surface characteristics play a major role in the biological response of functionalized CNTs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / toxicity
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemistry*

Substances

  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Polymers

Grants and funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013). Research Funding Project: BioNexGen-Development of the next generation bioreactor system (Grant agreement: 246039). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.