Jagusiak Anna, Piekarska Barbara, Chłopaś Katarzyna, Bielańska Elżbieta
Chair of Medical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University – Medical College, Kopernika 7, Krakow, 31-034, Poland
Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Science, Niezapominajek 8, Krakow, 30-239, Poland
A new method of dispersion of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in aqueous solution using supramolecular compounds is proposed in this chapter. The described system consists of SWNT overlaid by Congo red. SWNT are formed from a rolled layer of graphene, providing a large surface area for binding compounds with planar, aromatic structures (including drugs). Congo red is able to associate with proteins in the form of supramolecular, ribbon-like structures, and may bind various drugs by intercalation. The study reveals strong interactions between Congo red and the surface of SWNT. The authors’ aim was to explain the mechanism driving this interaction. Spectral analysis of the SWNT-CR complex, effects of sonication on CR binding, microscopic imaging and molecular modelling analyses are all discussed. Results indicate that binding of supramolecular Congo red to the surface of nanotubes is based on face-to-face stacking. Having attached itself to the surface of a nanotube, a dye molecule may attract other similarly oriented molecules, giving rise to a protruding supramolecular appendage. This explains the high affinity of CR for nanotubes and the resulting system’s capability to bind drugs. Analysis of complexes formed by SWNT-CR with the model drug (DOX) and with other planar compounds (EB, TY) indicates that it may be possible to construct complexes capable of binding multiple compounds simultaneously.
本章提出了一种使用超分子化合物将单壁碳纳米管（SWNT）分散在水溶液中的新方法。所描述的体系由覆盖有刚果红的SWNT组成。SWNT由一层卷曲的石墨烯形成，为与具有平面芳香结构的化合物（包括药物）结合提供了大的表面积。刚果红能够以超分子带状结构的形式与蛋白质缔合，并且可以通过插入作用结合各种药物。该研究揭示了刚果红与SWNT表面之间的强相互作用。作者的目的是解释驱动这种相互作用的机制。讨论了SWNT-CR复合物的光谱分析、超声处理对CR结合的影响、显微镜成像和分子建模分析。结果表明，超分子刚果红与纳米管表面的结合基于面对面堆积。染料分子附着在纳米管表面后，可能会吸引其他取向相似的分子，从而产生突出的超分子附属物。这解释了CR对纳米管的高亲和力以及所得体系结合药物的能力。对SWNT-CR与模型药物（DOX）以及其他平面化合物（EB、TY）形成的复合物的分析表明，有可能构建能够同时结合多种化合物的复合物。
