Biodegradation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes through Enzymatic Catalysis

TLDR

The study highlights the potential of biotechnological and plant peroxidases for environmentally relevant degradation of carbon nanotubes. The study demonstrates the biodegradation of single‑walled carbon nanotubes via natural enzymatic catalysis. The authors incubated nanotubes with horseradish peroxidase and low concentrations of H₂O₂ at 4 °C for 12 weeks, monitoring degradation with TEM, DLS, gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and UV‑vis‑NIR spectroscopy. The results indicate that HRP can effectively degrade carbon nanotubes in environmentally relevant conditions.

Abstract

We show here the biodegradation of single-walled carbon nanotubes through natural, enzymatic catalysis. By incubating nanotubes with a natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and low concentrations of H2O2 (approximately 40 microM) at 4 degrees C over 12 weeks under static conditions, we show the increased degradation of nanotube structure. This reaction was monitored via multiple characterization methods, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy. These results mark a promising possibility for carbon nanotubes to be degraded by HRP in environmentally relevant settings. This is also tempting for future studies involving biotechnological and natural (plant peroxidases) ways for degradation of carbon nanotubes in the environment.