Two-dimensional graphitic carbon is a new material with many emerging applications, and studying its chemical properties is an important goal. Here, we reported a new phenomenon -the enzymatic oxidation of a single layer of graphitic carbon by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the presence of low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (~40 µM), HRP catalyzed the oxidation of graphene oxide, which resulted in the formation of holes on its basal plane. During the same period of analysis, HRP failed to oxidize chemically reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The enzymatic oxidation was characterized by Raman, UV-Vis, EPR and FT-IR spectroscopy, TEM, AFM, SDS-PAGE, and GC-MS. Computational docking studies indicated that HRP was preferentially bound to the basal plane rather than the edge for both graphene oxide and RGO. Due to the more dynamic nature of HRP on graphene oxide, the heme active site of HRP was in closer proximity to graphene oxide compared to RGO, thereby facilitating the oxidation of the basal plane of graphene oxide. We also studied the electronic properties of the reduced intermediate product, holey reduced graphene oxide (hRGO), using field-effect transistor (FET) measurements. While RGO exhibited a V-shaped transfer characteristic similar to a single layer of graphene that was attributed to its zero band gap, hRGO demonstrated a p-type semiconducting behavior with a positive shift in the Dirac points. This p-type behavior rendered hRGO, which can be conceptualized as interconnected graphene nanoribbons, as a potentially attractive material for FET sensors. Keywords graphene; oxidation; microscopy; peroxidase; field-effect transistor Graphene has captured the attention of the scientific community due to its novel electronic properties 1,2 coupled with its mechanical strength, 2,3 both of which may make graphene integral in future generations of electronics, batteries, sensors, and composites.1 , 2 , 4 -6 One of the current methods of synthesizing graphene entails exfoliating graphite through astar@pitt.edu. Supporting Information Available: Supplemental TEM micrographs for the graphene oxide and RGO experiments ( Figure S1); Amplex Red assay for days 1 and 20 of RGO oxidation ( Figure S2); electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy data ( Figure S3); AFM images with section analysis of graphene oxide, HRP, and RGO ( Figure S4); details of the predicted interaction sites for RGO, graphene oxide, and holey graphene oxide on HRP (Table S1); back gate FET data for hRGO and RGO ( Figure S5); and FT-IR and UV-vis spectra of hRGO, RGO, and graphene oxide ( Figure S6). This material is available free of charge via the Internet at

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been investigated for a variety of applications including composite materials, electronics, and drug delivery. However, these applications may be compromised depending on the negative effects of SWNTs to living systems. While reports of toxicity induced by SWNTs vary, means to alleviate or quell these effects are in small abundance. We have reported recently the degradation of carboxylated SWNTs through enzymatic catalysis with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In this full Article, we investigated the degradation of both carboxylated and pristine SWNTs with HRP and compared these results with chemical degradation by hemin and FeCl(3). The interaction between pristine and carboxylated SWNTs with HRP was further studied by computer modeling, and the products of the enzymatic degradation were identified. By examining these factors with both pristine and carboxylated SWNTs through a variety of techniques including atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), degradation pathways were elucidated. It was observed that pristine SWNTs demonstrate no degradation with HRP incubation but display significant degradation when incubated with either hemin or FeCl(3). Such data signify a heterolytic cleavage of H(2)O(2) with HRP as pristine nanotubes do not degrade, whereas Fenton catalysis results in the homolytic cleavage of H(2)O(2) producing free radicals that oxidize pristine SWNTs. Product analysis shows complete degradation produces CO(2) gas. Conversely, incomplete degradation results in the formation of different oxidized aromatic hydrocarbons.

The pulmonary route represents one of the most important portals of entry for nanoparticles into the body. However, the in vivo interactions of nanoparticles with biomolecules of the lung have not been sufficiently studied. Here, using an established mouse model of pharyngeal aspiration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), we recovered SWCNTs from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf), purified them from possible contamination with lung cells, and examined the composition of phospholipids adsorbed on SWCNTs by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. We found that SWCNTs selectively adsorbed two types of the most abundant surfactant phospholipids: phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylglycerols (PG). Molecular speciation of these phospholipids was also consistent with pulmonary surfactant. Quantitation of adsorbed lipids by LC-MS along with the structural assessments of phospholipid binding by atomic force microscopy and molecular modeling indicated that the phospholipids (∼108 molecules per SWCNT) formed an uninterrupted "coating" whereby the hydrophobic alkyl chains of the phospholipids were adsorbed onto the SWCNT with the polar head groups pointed away from the SWCNT into the aqueous phase. In addition, the presence of surfactant proteins A, B, and D on SWCNTs was determined by LC-MS. Finally, we demonstrated that the presence of this surfactant coating markedly enhanced the in vitro uptake of SWCNTs by macrophages. Taken together, this is the first demonstration of the in vivo adsorption of the surfactant lipids and proteins on SWCNTs in a physiologically relevant animal model.

As a result of their unique electronic, optical, and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been implemented in therapeutic and imaging applications. In an idealized situation, CNTs would be disposed of after they transport their theranostic payloads. Biodegradation represents an attractive pathway for the eliminating of CNT carriers post-delivery and may be integral in catalyzing the release of the cargo from the delivery vehicle. Accordingly, recent research efforts have focused on peroxidase-driven biodegradation of CNTs. In this review, we not only summarize recent efforts to biodegrade CNTs in the test tube, in vitro, and in vivo, but also attempt to explore the fundamental parameters underlying degradation. Encouraged by the in vivo results obtained to date, we envision a future, where carbon-based nano-containers, which are specifically designed to target organs/cells, deliver their cargo, and biodegrade via peroxidase-driven mechanism, will represent an attractive therapeutic delivery option in nanomedicine.