Detection, Mapping, and Quantification of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Histological Specimens with Photoacoustic Microscopy

Contains fulltext : 110845.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)AIMS: In the present study, the efficacy of multi-scale photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) was investigated to detect, map, and quantify trace amounts [nanograms (ng) to micrograms (microg)] of SWCNTs in a variety of histological tissue specimens consisting of cancer and benign tissue biopsies (histological specimens from implanted tissue engineering scaffolds). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Optical-resolution (OR) and acoustic-resolution (AR)--Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) was employed to detect, map and quantify the SWCNTs in a variety of tissue histological specimens and compared with other optical techniques (bright-field optical microscopy, Raman microscopy, near infrared (NIR) fluorescence microscopy). RESULTS: Both optical-resolution and acoustic-resolution PAM, allow the detection and quantification of SWCNTs in histological specimens with scalable spatial resolution and depth penetration. The noise-equivalent detection sensitivity to SWCNTs in the specimens was calculated to be as low as approximately 7 pg. Image processing analysis further allowed the mapping, distribution, and quantification of the SWCNTs in the histological sections. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate the potential of PAM as a promising imaging technique to detect, map, and quantify SWCNTs in histological specimens, and could complement the capabilities of current optical and electron microscopy techniques in the analysis of histological specimens containing SWCNTs

Zirconia nanotubes

Hollow nanotubes of zirconia as well as of yttria-stabilized zirconia are successfully prepared by first coating the carbon nanotubes appropriately with the oxidic material and then burning off the carbon of the template

Bundles of aligned carbon nanotubes obtained by the pyrolysis of ferrocene hydrocarbon mixtures: role of the metal nanoparticles produced in situ

Aligned nanotube bundles have been produced by the pyrolysis of ferrocene along with methane, acetylene or butane. Ferrocene-acetylene mixtures are found to be ideal for the production of compact aligned nanotube bundles. The: nanotube bundles are associated with iron nanoparticles of diameters in the range 2-13 nm. These nanoparticles are ferromagnetic, showing low saturation magnetization compared to bulk iron. The ferromagnetism of the transition metal nanoparticles is likely to be responsible for the alignment of the nanotubes

Synthesis of metal oxide nanorods using carbon nanotubes as templates

Nanorods of several oxides, with diameters in the range of 10-200 nm and lengths upto a few microns, have been prepared by templating against carbon nanotubes. The oxides include V2O5, WO3, MoO3 and Sb2O5 as well as metallic MoO2, RuO2 and IrO2. The nanorods tend to be single-crystalline structures. Nanotube structures have also been obtained in MoO3 and RuO2

Metal Nanowires and Intercalated Metal Layers in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Bundles

Nanowires of Au, Ag, Pt, and Pd (1.0-1.4 nm diam) have been produced in the capillaries of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The nanowire is single-crystalline in some cases. Dispersions of the nanowires in alcohol show longitudinal plasmon absorption bands at different wavelengths, suggesting the presence of a distribution of aspect ratios. A novel phenomenon involving the intercalation of metal layers $(\sim 0.5 nm$ thick) in the intertubular space of SWNT bundles has been observed. SWNTs decorated by metal nanoparticles are formed in some of the preparations

Investigations of diamond-graphite hybrids and fullerenes with seven-membered rings

The nature of diamond-graphite hybrids has been studied by molecular mechanics, by examining the structures of species such as $C_{84}H_x$ wherein the $sp^3$ to $sp^2$ carbon ratio is varied progressively. The dependence of the average coordination number on the atom fraction of hydrogen has been examined in the light of the random covalent network model. The HOMO-LUMO gap has been estimated in a graphite-like $C_{110}H_x$ and in a diamond-like $C_{120}H_x$ as a function of the $sp^3/sp^2$ carbon atom ratio. The gap increases exponentially with the fraction of $sp^3$ carbon. Shapes of fullerene-like structures with 7-membered rings, in addition to 6- and 5-membered rings, have been investigated along with structures of bent nanotubes having similar ring systems

Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes were discovered soon after the successful laboratory synthesis of fullerenes. Since their discovery in 1991, there has been intensive research activity in the area of carbon nanotubes, not only because of their fascinating structural features and properties, but also because of their potential technological applications. There is increasing experimental evidence to show that carbon nanotubes may find use in nanoelectronic devices, displays, and in hydrogen storage. In this article, we discuss various important aspects related to the synthesis, structure, characterization, and mechanism of formation of multi-walled and single-walled carbon nanotubes, followed by a presentation of the important electronic, mechanical, hydrogen storage, and other properties of the nanotubes. Doping, as well as other chemical manipulations with boron and nitrogen, bring about significant changes in the properties of the nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes also serve as useful templates to make other nanostructures. Layered metal chalcogenides, boron nitride, and other materials form nanotubes and provide considerable scope for study