Carbon nanotubes and nanobelts as potential materials for biosensor

Area of Science:

• Computational materials science
• Nanotechnology
• Biophysics

Background:

• SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins feature N-linked and O-linked glycosylation, crucial for viral function.
• Understanding these glycosylation patterns is vital for developing effective diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Carbon nanostructures offer unique electronic properties for biosensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the electronic response of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and carbon nanobelts (CNBs) to SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins.
• To examine the influence of carbon nanotube (CNT) chirality on these interactions.
• To assess the potential of CNTs and CNBs for distinguishing between N-linked and O-linked glycosylation.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing an ab initio quantum mechanical approach to simulate interactions.
• Selecting CNTs from zigzag, armchair, and chiral configurations.
• Analyzing changes in electronic band gaps and density of states (DOS) upon glycoprotein binding.

Main Results:

• Chiral semiconductor CNTs exhibit significant electronic responses to glycoproteins, altering band gaps and DOS.
• The electronic response of CNTs to N-linked glycoproteins is approximately twice that observed for O-linked glycoproteins.
• Similar electronic responses were observed for carbon nanobelts (CNBs).

Conclusions:

• Chiral CNTs and CNBs demonstrate potential for differentiating between N-linked and O-linked glycosylation.
• These materials could be utilized in sequential analysis of spike protein glycosylation patterns.
• The findings suggest novel applications in biosensing and diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 variants.