Advances on carbon nanomaterials and their applications in medical diagnosis and drug delivery

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces, B, Biointerfaces Vol. 241; p. 114032
• Main Authors: Paramasivam, Gokul, Palem, Vishnu Vardhan, Meenakshy, Simi, Suresh, Lakshmi Krishnaa, Gangopadhyay, Moumita, Antherjanam, Santhy, Sundramoorthy, Ashok K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical applications; Carbon - chemistry; Carbon dots; Carbon nanomaterials; Carbon nanosphere; CNTs; Drug Delivery Systems; Graphene; Humans; Nanostructures - chemistry; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Quantum Dots - chemistry; Waste management; Waste management; Biomedical applications; CNTs; Graphene; Carbon dots; Carbon nanomaterials; Carbon nanosphere
• ISSN: 0927-7765; 1873-4367; 1873-4367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114032

Carbon nanomaterials are indispensable due to their unique properties of high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength and thermal stability, which makes them important nanomaterials in biomedical applications and waste management. Limitations of conventional nanomaterials, such as limited surface area, difficulty in fine tuning electrical or thermal properties and poor dispersibility, calls for the development of advanced nanomaterials to overcome such limitations. Commonly, carbon nanomaterials were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), laser ablation or arc discharge methods. The advancement in these techniques yielded monodispersed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and allows p-type and n-type doping to enhance its electrical and catalytic activities. The functionalized CNTs showed exceptional mechanical, electrical and thermal conductivity (3500–5000 W/mK) properties. On the other hand, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) exhibit strong photoluminescence properties with high quantum yield. Carbon nanohorns are another fascinating type of nanomaterial that exhibit a unique structure with high surface area and excellent adsorption properties. These carbon nanomaterials could improve waste management by adsorbing pollutants from water and soil, enabling precise environmental monitoring, while enhancing wastewater treatment and drug delivery systems. Herein, we have discussed the potentials of all these carbon nanomaterials in the context of innovative waste management solutions, fostering cleaner environments and healthier ecosystems for diverse biomedical applications such as biosensing, drug delivery, and environmental monitoring. •Carbon nanomaterials served as diagnostic tools for early disease detection.•Carbon nanomaterials for biomedical, and waste management domains.•Advancements in healthcare, sustainability, and environmental protection.•Nanomaterials in the fields of drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering.•The toxicity and biocompatibility of carbon nanomaterials.