Engineering Molecular Recognition with Bio-mimetic Polymers on Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit near-infrared fluorescence, aligning with biological transparency windows.
• Functionalizing SWNTs is crucial for developing biocompatible nanomaterials for biological applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer novel molecular sensors using functionalized SWNTs for detecting small molecules and proteins.
• To investigate methods for adsorbing amphiphilic polymers and polynucleic acids onto SWNT surfaces.
• To establish the biocompatibility, stability, and sensing capabilities of these novel SWNT-based sensors.

Main Methods:

• Adsorption of amphiphilic polymers and polynucleic acids onto SWNT surfaces via direct sonication or surfactant-mediated dialysis.
• Characterization of SWNT sensor fluorescence, stability, and analyte response using absorbance and near-infrared fluorescence spectroscopy.
• Surface immobilization of functionalized SWNTs onto glass slides for single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successful adsorption of polymers and polynucleic acids onto SWNTs, engineering their corona phases.
• Demonstrated biocompatibility and stability of the functionalized SWNT sensors.
• Confirmed fluorescence emission, stability, and specific analyte response of the SWNT sensors.
• Enabled single-molecule imaging to analyze polymer adsorption and analyte binding kinetics.

Conclusions:

• Functionalized SWNTs serve as robust and biocompatible platforms for developing sensitive molecular sensors.
• Surface engineering of SWNTs with polymers and nucleic acids enhances their utility in biological detection.
• The developed SWNT sensors show promise for various applications in molecular sensing and diagnostics.