Non-Functionalized Water Soluble Carbon Nanotubes

Most of previous methods for the dispersions of carbon nanotube were achieved by various chemical functionalizations. In this study, however, we generated highly water dispersed carbon nanofibers by altering intrinsic materials property only, such as crystallinity of outer layers of carbons, without chemical treatment. Although most of chemical functionalization requires acidic treatment and may degrade their chemical functions by interacting with other molecules, suggested strategy demonstrated a simple but chemically non-degradable carbon nanotube for the application of various medical applications, such as drug delivery system and implant coatings.Furthermore, protein adsorption was increased by the reducing surface crystalinity since outer activated surface induced more adsorption of oxygen and eventually greater protein adsorption than pristine carbon nanofibers.