i FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBES FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS

ii Carbon nanotubes with their unique pseudo-one-dimensional nanostructures and related electronic, optical, and mechanical properties have been attracting much attention for potential biological applications, such as biosensors, bio-delivery, bioimaging and so on. In this dissertation, recent studies and advances toward bioapplications of carbon nanotubes are critically reviewed, followed by detailed reports on my research projects concerning the use of carbon nanotubes as unique scaffolds for multivalent display of sugars and the relevant results from bio-evaluation of these novel nanomaterials. Single-walled (SWNTs) and multiple-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were functionalized with amine-derivatived monosaccharides (galactoses and mannoses) and their dendritic constructs. These sugar-functionalized carbon nanotubes were readily water-soluble and biocompatible, and the intrinsic properties of the nanotubes were largely preserved post-functionalization. The bio-evaluation of the functionalized carbon nanotubes included experiments with pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7, in whic