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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes
Published on: February 19, 2016
Biodegradation of single-walled carbon nanotubes through enzymatic catalysis
Brett L Allen1, Padmakar D Kichambare, Pingping Gou
1Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.
Abstract:
We show here the biodegradation of single-walled carbon nanotubes through natural, enzymatic catalysis. By incubating nanotubes with a natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and low concentrations of H2O2 (approximately 40 microM) at 4 degrees C over 12 weeks under static conditions, we show the increased degradation of nanotube structure. This reaction was monitored via multiple characterization methods, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy. These results mark a promising possibility for carbon nanotubes to be degraded by HRP in environmentally relevant settings. This is also tempting for future studies involving biotechnological and natural (plant peroxidases) ways for degradation of carbon nanotubes in the environment.
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