Compared to bulk counterparts, nanomaterials have remarkable potential for numerous applications due to their distinctive properties. Novel two-dimensional materials such as graphene have recently joined the group of nanotubes, nanowires and quantum dots. Nanostructures, if engineered to be benign, present us with vast opportunities for medical applications. As an example, we present our recent results on the use of atomically flat graphene as a coating for biomedical implants. The interaction of nanomaterials with biomolecules such as proteins and membranes establishes the foundation for the formation of protein corona. Thus, physicochemical properties of nanomaterials play an important role in determining their fate in any physiological environment. Here, we present the effects of carbon nanomaterial properties upon the formation of protein corona. We find that the serum albumin exhibits multi-layer Freundlich type adsorption. The ensuing charge transfer upon protein adsorption was found to trigger protein unfolding.

Nanocarbon platforms for implant coatings and probing protein corona

244th National Meeting (2012)

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