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Carbon nanotubes in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology: current trends and future perspectives

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Abstract

Advanced nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) display unprecedented properties such as strength, electrical conductance, thermal stability, and intriguing optical properties. These properties of CNT allow construction of small microfluidic devices leading to miniaturization of analyses previously conducted on a laboratory bench. With dimensions of only millimeters to a few square centimeters, these devices are called lab-on-a-chip (LOC). A LOC device requires a multidisciplinary contribution from different fields and offers automation, portability, and high-throughput screening along with a significant reduction in reagent consumption. Today, CNT can play a vital role in many parts of a LOC such as membrane channels, sensors and channel walls. This review paper provides an overview of recent trends in the use of CNT in LOC devices and covers challenges and recent advances in the field. CNTs are also reviewed in terms of synthesis, integration techniques, functionalization and superhydrophobicity. In addition, the toxicity of these nanomaterials is reviewed as a major challenge and recent approaches addressing this issue are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

Michael R. Hamblin was supported by US NIH Grants R01AI050875 and R21AI121700.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11365-9466, Tehran, 14588, Iran

    Amir Ghasemi & Hamed Amiri

  2. Advances Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Ghasemi, Hossein Zare & Maryam Masroor

  3. Biomaterials Group, Materials Science and Engineering Department, Iran University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 1684613114, Tehran, Iran

    Hossein Zare

  4. School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Masroor

  5. School of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Ali Beyzavi

  6. Department of Medical Oncology, Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Amir R. Aref

  7. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mahdi Karimi

  8. Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Akbar Hasanzadeh & Mahdi Karimi

  9. Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Teheran Medical Sciences Branch, Isclamic Azad University, Teheran, Iran

    Mahdi Karimi

  10. Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Mahdi Karimi & Michael R. Hamblin

  11. Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Michael R. Hamblin

  12. Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

    Michael R. Hamblin

  13. Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mahdi Karimi

Authors
  1. Amir Ghasemi
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  2. Hamed Amiri
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  3. Hossein Zare
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  4. Maryam Masroor
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  5. Akbar Hasanzadeh
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  6. Ali Beyzavi
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  7. Amir R. Aref
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  8. Mahdi Karimi
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  9. Michael R. Hamblin
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mahdi Karimi or Michael R. Hamblin.

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Ghasemi, A., Amiri, H., Zare, H. et al. Carbon nanotubes in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology: current trends and future perspectives. Microfluid Nanofluid 21, 151 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-017-1989-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-017-1989-1

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