Functionalization of carbon nanotubes with bovine plasma biowaste by forming a protein corona enhances copper removal from water and ecotoxicity mitigation

• Published in: Environmental science. Nano Vol. 9; no. 8; pp. 2887 - 295
• Main Authors: Martins, Carlos Henrique Zanini, Côa, Francine, Da Silva, Gabriela Helena, Bettini, Jefferson, De Farias, Marcelo Alexandre, Portugal, Rodrigo Villares, Umbuzeiro, Gisela de Aragão, Alves, Oswaldo Luiz, Martinez, Diego Stéfani Teodoro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 11.08.2022
• Subjects: Acute toxicity; Agricultural wastes; Aluminium; Aluminum; Biomolecules; Carbon; Cattle; Connecting; Copper; Coronas; Diameters; Dimensions; Electron microscopy; Environmental science; Freshwater crustaceans; Life cycle; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle assessment; Life cycles; Mitigation; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Plasma; Pollutant removal; Pollutants; Proteins; Remediation; Removal; Toxicity; Transmission electron microscopy; Water; Water pollution; Water treatment
• ISSN: 2051-8153; 2051-8161
• DOI: 10.1039/d2en00145d

Water remediation is a current challenge in environmental science and technology. Functionalization is a pivotal step toward the application of carbon nanotubes for water remediation. Bovine plasma is an abundant agro-industrial biowaste that can be exploited as a low-cost source of biomolecules in green nanotechnologies. Here we show the functionalization of oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes with bovine plasma by forming a protein corona (BP@MWCNT) for copper removal from water linked to ecotoxicity mitigation for the first time. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM) showed that corona thickness is a function of nanotube diameter. The functionalization of nanotubes increased the dispersion stability ( ca. 90%) and the removal of copper ions from water ( ca. 400%) when compared to oxidized nanotubes. Importantly, BP@MWCNT did not show any acute toxicity (48 h) to Daphnia similis up to 100 mg L −1 and mitigated the copper toxicity ( ca. 100%) to this aquatic model organism in co-exposure assays. Our results demonstrate the significance of the environmental dimensions of biomolecular coronas in mediating the nanobiointeractions and ecotoxicity of carbon nanotubes. In addition, considering life cycle assessment, BP@MWCNT was easily removed from water with aluminum sulphate treatment. Surface functionalization of carbon nanotubes with bovine plasma (corona formation) is therefore a novel strategy for the removal of pollutants from water; connecting agricultural wastes and nanomaterial functionalization towards eco-friendly and waste-to-wealth approaches in agri-environmental nanotechnology. Functionalization of carbon nanotubes through protein corona formation with bovine plasma is a novel waste-to-wealth approach in agri-environmental nanoscience towards remediation of pollutants from water.