**3. Applications**

## **3.1 Biomedical field**

The characteristic properties ascertained to CNTs are really enthusiastic. in the last decades, many research studies have proposed potential uses of CNTs and also have remarkably portrayed promising applications when such newly developed materials are joined together with typical scientific products, for example, nanorods production using such CNTs as reactive template materials.

Applications of CNTs encompass major fields and various disciplines, which include nanotechnology, medicine, construction, manufacturing, electronics, peripheral hardware, software and so on **Figure 7**. The mentioned applications can be considered: actuators, composites with maximum strength, energy storage as well as energy conversion equipment, media for H2 storage, nanosensors and probes, electronic instruments and process catalysis. Anyway the forthcoming sections will highlight detailed applications of CNTs in biomedical field. There are three parameters which may act as barriers before using CNTs in the fields of biotechnology and biomedical based industry. These barriers have to be overcome: toxicity, pharmacology and functionalization perspectives of CNTs [46].

The most prominent barrier is toxic nature of CNTs. In general, the coexistence of maximum surface area rendered by CNT along with the intrinsic toxic nature of nano surface can become most important for the harmful impacts of aggregated nanoparticles. The toxic nature of CNTs can be influenced by the particle size of designed nanotubes. If the particles are less than a size of 100 nm, they are able to exhibit definite harmful effects such as enhanced potential hazard to the liver, lung, protein structure modification, escape from usual phagocytic powerful attacks, activation of immunological and inflammatory responses, and explicit redistribution strategy from their spot of tube deposition [47].

Another predominant barrier with CNT is the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of aggregated nanoparticles which are in-turn influenced by distinct physicochemical attributes such as size, shape, aggregation capacity, chemical composition, solubility of surface and effective fictionalization. Previously made studies have demonstrated that CNTs of water soluble nature are much more biocompatible with the inbuilt human body fluids and also do not show any toxic ill-effects or abnormal mortality [48].

The most notable disadvantage of CNTs is the lack of aqueous solubility when exposed to any media and in order to eradicate such a problem, surface modification is introduced on the carbon nanotubes, that is, stable fictionalization of surface with suitable hydrophilic substituents and reaction chemistries which can improve both aqueous solubility as well as biocompatibility of CNT [49].

**39**

**Table 2.**

*Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Properties and Applications*

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92995*

**3.2 Artificial implant scopes**

*CNT applications in biomedical field.*

**Figure 7.**

artificial implants was represented in **Table 2**.

Membrane of polycarbonates

*Nature of CNT in artificial implants application.*

**3.3 Tissue engineering**

SWCNT impregnated

SWCNT (pore type)

Nanomaterials portray their chosen probability and thrusted promise in the field of regenerative medicine due to their extraneous physical/chemical properties. In general, the rejected implant materials which may be the cause for post administration implant pain and in order to avoid such rejection, nanotubes were attached to amino acids and to proteins, thereby achieved a promising development. Both the single and multiwalled forms can be effectively utilized as implants which may be either artificial joints or else other implant materials without any kind of host rejection output response. Perhaps, due to its unique material properties such as maximum tensile strength, these can effectively act as implant materials for bone substitutes and if suitably filled with calcium, such implants can be shaped or arranged within the bone structure [50, 51]. It has also been invented that proliferation and cellular adhesion can increase with the availability of SW and MW carbon nanotube composites and hence, these can be essentially integrated into natural nanomaterials and synthetic type materials to fabricate suitable nanocomposites. The specific type of CNT accustomed to

The scope of tissue engineering lies in the substitution of damaged tissue using biological alternatives that can possibly replace/repair original and normal

SWCNT Sodium alginate Elevate proliferation [51] MWCNT Collagen type Enhancement in cellular adhesion [52] MWCNT Poly-acrylic acid type Improves cellular discrimination [53]

**Type of CNT Background materials Properties References**

Chitosan type Enhancement in cell morphology and growth

[50]

Increase cytoskeletal extensions [51]

*Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Properties and Applications DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92995*

**Figure 7.** *CNT applications in biomedical field.*

*21st Century Surface Science - a Handbook*

walled carbon nanotubes [45].

ing incite attractive properties.

**3. Applications**

CNTs [46].

deposition [47].

ill-effects or abnormal mortality [48].

**3.1 Biomedical field**

of its adjusting through the nanotube structure. What's more, bolometer and optoelectronic memory gadgets have been acknowledged on groups of single-

Crystallographic absconds additionally influence the cylinder's electrical properties. A typical outcome is brought down conductivity through the flawed space of the cylinder. An imperfection in easy chair type tubes (which can lead power) can make the encompassing area become semiconducting, and single monatomic open-

The characteristic properties ascertained to CNTs are really enthusiastic. in the last decades, many research studies have proposed potential uses of CNTs and also have remarkably portrayed promising applications when such newly developed materials are joined together with typical scientific products, for example, nanorods

Applications of CNTs encompass major fields and various disciplines, which include nanotechnology, medicine, construction, manufacturing, electronics, peripheral hardware, software and so on **Figure 7**. The mentioned applications can be considered: actuators, composites with maximum strength, energy storage as well as energy conversion equipment, media for H2 storage, nanosensors and probes, electronic instruments and process catalysis. Anyway the forthcoming sections will highlight detailed applications of CNTs in biomedical field. There are three parameters which may act as barriers before using CNTs in the fields of biotechnology and biomedical based industry. These barriers have to be overcome: toxicity, pharmacology and functionalization perspectives of

The most prominent barrier is toxic nature of CNTs. In general, the coexistence of maximum surface area rendered by CNT along with the intrinsic toxic nature of nano surface can become most important for the harmful impacts of aggregated nanoparticles. The toxic nature of CNTs can be influenced by the particle size of designed nanotubes. If the particles are less than a size of 100 nm, they are able to exhibit definite harmful effects such as enhanced potential hazard to the liver, lung, protein structure modification, escape from usual phagocytic powerful attacks, activation of immunological and inflammatory responses, and explicit redistribution strategy from their spot of tube

Another predominant barrier with CNT is the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of aggregated nanoparticles which are in-turn influenced by distinct physicochemical attributes such as size, shape, aggregation capacity, chemical composition, solubility of surface and effective fictionalization. Previously made studies have demonstrated that CNTs of water soluble nature are much more biocompatible with the inbuilt human body fluids and also do not show any toxic

The most notable disadvantage of CNTs is the lack of aqueous solubility when exposed to any media and in order to eradicate such a problem, surface modification is introduced on the carbon nanotubes, that is, stable fictionalization of surface with suitable hydrophilic substituents and reaction chemistries which can improve

both aqueous solubility as well as biocompatibility of CNT [49].

production using such CNTs as reactive template materials.

**38**
