Abstract
This study provides deep insight into the adsorption process of doxorubicin onto different types of carbon nanotubes that have been proved to show attractive properties as a drug delivery system. The main aim of the work was to propose probable adsorption mechanisms and interactions between the anticancer drug and surface of modified and pristine carbon nanotubes at blood pH. The carbon nanotubes were oxidized to optimize the absorbance efficiency relative to that of pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The adsorption isotherm of the modified system was well described by the Temkin equation. It confirms that the adsorption in the system studied involves also hydrogen and covalent bonding and is exothermic in nature. The experimental kinetic curves of adsorption were fitted to different mathematical models to check if the kinetics of doxorubicin adsorption onto the modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes follows a pseudo-second-order model and the chemical sorption is bound to be the rate-limiting. On the basis of the molecular dynamics simulation, it was shown that in vacuo the aggregation tendency of doxorubicin molecules is far more favorable than their adsorption on pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It suggests that only functionalization of the nanotube surface can affect the interaction between doxorubicin and functional groups of the carriers and increases the efficiency of the drug loading process.
Highlights
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a structurally related cytotoxic antineoplastic antibiotic
This paper reports a comprehensive study of adsorption of DOX on oxidized Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)
To render the carbon nanotubes a more effective drug career and to understand and predict interactions and adsorption mechanisms, we have modified the surface of MWCNTs and investigated the adsorption of DOX
Summary
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a structurally related cytotoxic antineoplastic antibiotic. As an effective anti-neoplastic agent, it is recommended for use in the therapy against several cancers such as leukemia, sarcoma, and many other solid organ tumors [1,2,3]. Other numerous side effects of DOX toxicity, such as leukopenia and cardiotoxicity, limit the applicability of this drug [3,4,5,6,7]. It has been demonstrated that the release of particles from carbon nanotubes can be stimulated by pH conditions [36,37] This correlation opens great possibilities of using CNTs as cancer drug carriers as the tumor microenvironment is more acidic than the normal cells [38]. There is much hope related to the possibility of using modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a platform or system for transporting many therapeutic or biologically active compounds such as drugs, DNA, and proteins into living organisms. Considering the needs of drug carrier design, the properties of carbon nanotubes, and the possibilities of their surface modification, it seems logical that they constitute a very attractive and important object of research
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call