Abstract

Graphene nanoribbons are a type of graphene characterized by remarkable electrical and mechanical properties. This review considers the prospects for the application of graphene ribbons in biomedicine, taking into account safety aspects. According to the analysis of the recent studies, the topical areas of using graphene nanoribbons include mechanical, chemical, photo- and acoustic sensors, devices for the direct sequencing of biological macromolecules, including DNA, gene and drug delivery vehicles, and tissue engineering. There is evidence of good biocompatibility of graphene nanoribbons with human cell lines, but a number of researchers have revealed toxic effects, including cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Moreover, the damaging effects of nanoribbons are often higher than those of chemical analogs, for instance, graphene oxide nanoplates. The possible mechanism of toxicity is the ability of graphene nanoribbons to damage the cell membrane mechanically, stimulate reactive oxidative stress (ROS) production, autophagy, and inhibition of proliferation, as well as apoptosis induction, DNA fragmentation, and the formation of chromosomal aberrations. At the same time, the biodegradability of graphene nanoribbons under the environmental factors has been proven. In general, this review allows us to conclude that graphene nanoribbons, as components of high-precision nanodevices and therapeutic agents, have significant potential for biomedical applications; however, additional studies of their safety are needed. Particular emphasis should be placed on the lack of information about the effect of graphene nanoribbons on the organism as a whole obtained from in vivo experiments, as well as about their ecological toxicity, accumulation, migration, and destruction within ecosystems.

Highlights

  • Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are narrow strips of graphene composed of repeating hexagonal carbon cells, up to 50 nm wide and up to several dozens of micrometers long, depending on the synthesis method [1]

  • Several studies [75,76] are devoted to the activation of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) by oxidized GNRs (O-GNRs) non-covalently functionalized with PEG-distearoyl-snglycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[amino(polyethylene glycol)] (DSPE)

  • The results showed that rO-GNRs could penetrate cells and cause DNA fragmentation and chromosomal aberrations even at a low concentration of 1.0 μg/mL, after a short exposure time of 1 h [94,95]

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Summary

Introduction

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are narrow strips of graphene composed of repeating hexagonal carbon cells, up to 50 nm wide and up to several dozens of micrometers long, depending on the synthesis method [1]. Graphene ribbons were theoretically described in 1996 by Fuhita et al as a model for studying the edge and nanoscale effects. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2425 of graphene [2,3]. Due to their quasi-one-dimensional nature, GNRs differ significantly from the more widely known two-dimensional graphene sheets [4]. The structure and physical properties of GNRs vary significantly, depending on the synthesis method. The ribbons obtained by the lithographic method have jagged edges [12,13,14]

Bottom-up synthesis from polycyclic molecules
GNRs in Biomedicine
Electronic and Biomedical Devices
Delivery of Genes and Drugs
Biocompatibility
Toxicity
GNRs in the Environment
Findings
Conclusions
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