DFT Study on the Mechanistic, Energetic and Structural Aspects of Adsorption of Tirapazamine Onto Pristine and Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Using density functional theory, noncovalent interactions and two mechanisms of covalent functionalization of drug tirapazamine with pristine, COOH and COCl functionalized carbon nanotube (NT, NTCOOH and NTCOCl) have been investigated. Quantum molecular descriptors of noncovalent configurations were studied. It was specified that binding of drug tirapazamine with NTCOOH has more binding energy than NTCOCl and NT, so NTCOOH can act as a favorable system for tirapazamine drug delivery within biological and chemical systems (noncovalent). NTCOOH and NTCOCl can bond to the amino group of tirapazamine through OH (COOH mechanism) and Cl (COCl mechanism) groups, respectively. The activation parameters of two pathways were calculated and compared with each other. The activation parameters related to COOH mechanism are higher than those related to COCl mechanism and therefore COCl mechanism is suitable for covalent functionalization. These results could be generalized to other similar drugs.