Single wall carbon nanotubes were purchased from Carbon Nanotechnologies Inc., Houston, TX (HiPCo). 2-amino-5-bromo benzophenone[1] and 4-vinylphenylboronic acid was synthesized according to previous reports [2]. 1-Bromo-4-nitrobenzene 99% (Aldrich)

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Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are considered to be excellent reinforcements for biorelated applications, but, before being incorporated into biomedical devices, their biocompatibility need to be investigated thoroughly. We investigated the ability of films of pristine MWCNTs to influence human mesenchymal stem cells' proliferation, morphology, and differentiation into osteoblasts. Moreover, the selective integrin subunit expression and the adhesion mechanism to the substrate were evaluated on the basis of adherent cell number and adhesion strength, following the treatment of cells with blocking antibodies to a series of integrin subunits. Results indicated that MWCNTs accelerated cell differentiation to a higher extent than tissue culture plastic, even in the absence of additional biochemical inducing agents. The pre-treatment with anti-integrin antibodies decreased number of adherent cells and adhesion strength at 4-60%, depending on integrin subunit. These findings suggest that pristine MWCNTs represent a suitable reinforcement for bone tissue engineering scaffolds.

New hybrid materials were synthesized by functionalizing single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with different semiconducting species. Vinyl quinoline monomers bearing electron accepting groups or even its ruthenium complex were used as organic semiconductors. UV− vis−NIR absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were used in order to qualify the resulted materials. Optical characteristics were studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy in neutral and acidic media. The electronic structure of the valence band and the surface electronic properties of the materials in the form of thin films developed on Si substrates were studied by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy revealed the charge transfer mechanism between the polymer and the carbon nanotube while the recorded Raman resonance profiles showed significant changes in the transition energies and the widths of the resonance windows due to chemical modification of SWCNTs.