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Direct Determination of Bioavailable Molybdenum in Carbon Nanotubes
Author(s) -
Giovanni Marcella,
Ambrosi Adriano,
Pumera Martin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201002979
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , impurity , bioavailability , molybdenum , materials science , chemical engineering , catalysis , molybdenum disulfide , carbon fibers , nanotechnology , chemistry , metallurgy , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material , bioinformatics , engineering , biology
Bioavailable residual metallic impurities within carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are responsible for the toxicity of CNTs. Herein we present a method for fast, sensitive determination of bioavailable molybdenum residual catalyst impurities within CNTs by using electrochemical oxidation in neutral pH buffers at low potentials. This method is unique because no other method can rapidly distinguish between bioavailable/mobilizable impurities from defects in CNTs and between the total amounts of impurities. This method will be indispensable for future toxicological studies of CNTs.