Web Release Date: May 13,
A Bone Mimic Based on the Self-Assembly of Hydroxyapatite on Chemically Functionalized Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Departments of Chemistry and Chemical & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, California 92521-0403
Received January 8, 2005
Revised Manuscript Received April 4, 2005
Abstract:
We report the use of chemically functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as a scaffold
for the growth of artificial bone material. The mineralization of SWNTs functionalized with phosphonates
and poly(aminobenzene sulfonic acid) (PABS) was investigated in the solution phase and as films on
substrates. Microscopy studies showed that hydroxyapatite (HA) nucleated and crystallized on the surface
of the functionalized SWNTs. The negatively charged functional groups on SWNTs attract the calcium
cations and lead to self-assembly of HA. The thickness of the HA layers was found to be a function of
the mineralization time. Mineralization of SWNT-PABS films led to well-aligned plate-shaped HA crystals
and the thickness of the crystals reached 3 
m after 14 days of mineralization. The PABS- and
phosphonates-functionalized SWNTs can be applied as supporting scaffold for bone therapy.
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