Platinum filled CNTs as temperature sensor for biomedical applications

Abstract

Due to their extraordinary physical and chemical properties carbon nanotubes reveal a promising potential as biomedical agents for heating, temperature sensing and drug delivery on the cellular level. By filling the carbon nanotubes with tailored materials they can act as a chemically and mechanically stable “nanocontainer”. The carbon shells encapsulate the active material and protect it from wear and oxidation. Additional, carbon is a perfect material for exohedral biofunctionalisation and so ideal for biomedical applications. In particular, the filling with magnetic materials offers the potential for hyperthermia applications while the insertion of nuclear magnetic resonance active substances allows the usage as markers and sensors. In this work the carbon nanotubes are filled with platinum and the structural and magnetic properties characterised. Platinum exhibits a temperature dependent nuclear magnetic resonance signal so that Pt-filled carbon nanotubes nanoscaled contactless temperature sensors are realised.