Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Nanosyringes

Functionalized nanoparticles and nanotubes may be able to target specific cells, become ingested and then release their contents in response to a chemical trigger. An alternative delivery mechanism, which may offer advantages in drug delivery is the use of a nanosyringe which pierces the cell membrane and injects molecules such as DNA or anticancer drugs directly into the cell. Here, we propose the use of double-walled carbon nanotubes as nanosyringes. By way of illustration we investigate the suction and expulsion mechanisms, using elementary mechanics and applied mathematical modeling techniques, for both a C₆₀ fullerene and the anticancer drug cisplatin, but similar calculations can be undertaken for any molecule. Some specific guidelines are formulated to assist medical scientists to facilitate nanosyringe development.Tamsyn A. Hilder, James M. Hil