OVERVIEW OF SINGLE WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES AND TOXICITY PROFILE

Vijayalakshmi V, PriyaAshrit, BinduSadanandan

Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted the fancy of many scientists in the recent decade. They are produced on a large scale due to their demand of being strong and light weight. Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs)are an important class of CNTs. SWCNTs structurally resemble graphite sheets which are rolled up with usually one end capped. The major strengths of SWCNTs are small size, larger length, high permeability, tensile strength, electrical & mechanical properties. Major methods of synthesis of SWCNTs are arc discharge, laser ablation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). SWCNTs have potential applications in many fields such as medicine, industry, research, and computers. However, there are many studies that implicate the toxicity of SWCNT. To evaluate the toxicity of SWCNTs they have been studied both in vitro and in vivo. Toxicity of SWCNTs can be reduced by functionalization of the SWCNTs. In this review we mainly provide an overview of CNTs especially SWCNT & its toxicity.

Keywords: Carbon Nanotubes, Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Toxicity, Synthesis

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2016.0529004