Synthesis of functionalized carbon nanotubes for fluorescent biosensors

Abstract

Despite the development of pharmacy, there are still incurable diseases for which the medicine has not been found yet. Because many diseases are asymptomatic in their first stage of development, often early detection is the crucial factor in combating them. The article describes the process of synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) which can be useful in medical diagnostics. CNTs were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The obtained material was subjected to functionalization – attaching fluorescent markers. In order to check the usefulness of the obtained structures in diagnostics, their fluorescent properties were examined. The results of fourier transform infrared spectroscopy thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy prove that, after proper functionalization, CNTs could be used as fluorescents markers.