title: Carbohydrate functionalized carbon nanotubes and their applications.
abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted tremendous attention in biomedical applications due to their molecular size and unique properties. This tutorial review summarizes the strategies to functionalize CNTs with bioactive carbohydrates, which improve their solubility, biocompatibility and biofunctionalities while preserving their desired properties. In addition, studies on the usage of carbohydrate functionalized CNTs to detect bacteria, to bind to specific lectins, to deliver glycomimetic drug molecules into cells and to probe cellular activities as biosensors are reviewed. Improvement in biocompatibility and introduction of bio-functionalities by integration of carbohydrate with CNTs are paving the way to glyconanotechnology and may provide new tools for glycobiological studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637371.
authors.forename: Bala Kishan
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Gorityala
authors.forename: Jimei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xue-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011506:Proteins