Adsorption of Essential Micronutrients by Carbon Nanotubes and the Implications for Nanotoxicity Testing

Abstract

Hungry nanotubes: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) compete with cells by interacting with folate and other essential micronutrients in cell culture medium (see picture). Sequestering of folate can cause apparent toxicity even without direct nanotube–cell contact through a new “starvation” mechanism.