Luminescent click nanotubes to help diagnose heart disease and cancer
-
Loading... - Alexis White
- 02 Nov 2022
- 79 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Up to five times stronger optical effect - luminescence of carbon nanotubes - has been achieved by the team led by Dr. Dawid Janas from the Silesian University of Technology. The achievement was described in the journal Chemical Communications.
“Just like with the asymmetrical Mona Lisa's smile, which intrigues and remains unexplained since the 16th century, we show that perfect symmetry in the world of nanomaterials is not necessarily desirable. Research results show that a minor chemical modification can significantly improve the optical properties of such materials,” Janas says.
Scientists have developed a precise way of introducing such 'disorder' into carbon nanotubes. When they modified every five hundredth carbon atom, the nanotubes began to glow much more strongly. Thus modified, they can detect disease markers with a higher sensitivity, because when the nanotubes glow more strongly, the light signal can be detected even by simple sensors in medical devices.
Earlier, the scientist developed a method of separating carbon dust into individual nanotubes and selecting them, e.g. by colours. Dr. Janas explained the details of this technology in an interview entitled 'Cinderella 2.0 picks out nanotubes from black dust'.
'SALTED' NANOTUBES GLOW MORE STRONGLY
Along with the possibility of dividing the black powder, which are carbon nanotubes bought by laboratories, into individual ingredients, scientists started dreaming about the possibilities of using precisely separated, colourful nanomaterials, also in medicine.
“Colourful nanotubes, contrary to the intuition associated with carbon, can actually be grouped by colours. The mixture we use for research contains 20-30 types of nanotubes. Individual ingredients have very intense colours, covering the entire visible spectrum. You could with paint images such colours, although this would not be the cheapest dye,” jokes Dr. Janas.
“That is why it makes more sense to use it as a sensor, for example in medical imaging. Glowing nanotubes now detect cancer markers in patients. We will check whether they can help prevent cardiovascular diseases.”
The dreams of researchers around the world ended when it turned out that while nanotubes had a 'nice and colourful' glow, it was nor very bright - the material would not reflect much light. Therefore, a signal that can be obtained in medical imaging is not strong enough. The problem cannot be solved by using more powder, because the concentration of contrast introduced into the human body should be minimal.
Improving the optical properties of nanotubes became the goal of scientists around the world. Polish researchers succeeded. The team from the Silesian University of Technology decided to disrupt the symmetry of only a few carbon atoms in some nanotubes. Read More…
