Carbon nanotubes functionalized with folic acid attached via biomimetic peptide linker
Justyna Fraczyk1, Malgorzata Walczak1, Lukasz Szymanski2
1Institute of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Zeromskiego 116, 90924 Lodz, Poland.
Aim:
Anchoring folic acid (FA) with a biomimetic peptidic linker resistant to proteolytic degradation to act as a homing device on functionalized carbon nanotubes.
Materials & Methods:
Ethylenediamine was attached to oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-[1,3,5]triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium tetrafluoroborate. FA was coupled with 6-aminohexanoic acid and derivatives of β-alanine, affording four intermediates, which connected to the MWNTs via peptidic linkers of various lengths.
Results:
Biomimetic nanomaterials were produced with FA as a homing molecule. The structure and properties of the nanomaterials were analyzed, confirming the versatility of the peptides used as linkers.
Conclusion:
Conjugates of FA attached to MWNTs via peptide linkers prepared from β-alanine residues are resistant to proteolytic degradation. Viability in colon cancer cells and normal colonocytes confirmed their lack of cytotoxicity.
