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Photocatalytic Degradation of E. Coli and S. aureus by Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes

  • Carbon Letters
  • Abbr : Carbon Lett.
  • 2007, 8(3), pp.184~190
  • Publisher : Korean Carbon Society
  • Research Area : Natural Science > Natural Science General > Other Natural Sciences General

Madhuri Sharon 1 Suprama Datta 2 Sejal Shah 2 Mahesh war Sharon 2 T. Soga 3 Rakesh Afre 3

1MONAD Nanotech Pvt. Ltd.
2Nanotechnology Research Center
3Nagoya Institute Technology

Candidate

ABSTRACT

Carbon Nano Tubes could be either metallic or semi-conducting in nature, depending on their diameter. Its photocatalyticbehavior has given an impetus to use it as an anti-microbial agent. More than 95% Escherichia coli and Staphylococcusaureus bacteria got killed when exposed to Carbon Nano Tubes for 30 minutes in presence of sunlight. Carbon Nano Tubesare supposed to have smooth surface on to which it accumulates positive charges when exposed to light. The surface that isnon illuminated has negative charge. At the cellular level microorganisms produce negative charges on the cell membrane,Therefore damaging effect of multi walled carbon nano tubes (exposed to light) on the microorganisms is possible. In thispaper, photo catalytic killing of microbes by multi walled carbon nano tubes is reported. Killing was due to damage in the cellmembrane, as seen in SEM micrographs. Moreover biochemical analysis of membrane as well as total cellular proteins bySDS PAGE showed that there was denaturation of membrane proteins as well as total proteins of both the microbes studied.number of protein bands (i.e. due to breaking down of proteins) also showed anincrease in level of free amino acids in microbes. This further confirmed that proteins got denatured or broken down intoshorter units of amino acids. Increased level of free amino acids was recorded in both the microbes treated with multi walledcarbon nano tubes and sunlight.

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