Functionalisation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with thiazole derivative and their influence on SKBR3 and HEK293 cell lines

Abstract

Carboxylated multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH) were first modified by thiourea to form an MWCNT-amide and then by 2-bromoacetophenone to produce MWCNT-thiazole. All samples were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. These functionalisations have been chosen due to the active sites of C = S and amine groups in MWCNT-amide, which might be used as functional materials in the future. Toxicity of these samples was evaluated with human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and human breast cancer (SKBR3) cell lines, and the viable cell numbers were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) after culturing cells for 24 h. Cellular investigations showed that the modified MWCNTs have considerably significant toxic impact on SKBR3 as compared to HEK293 at concentrations 4 to 5 μg mL^− 1.

Keywords:

• Carbon nanotube
• Functionalisation
• Thiazole
• cancer cells
• toxicity
• MTT