Carbon nanotubes allow capture of krypton, barium and lead for multichannel biological X-ray fluorescence imaging

Christopher J. Serpell, Reida N. Rutte, Kalotina Geraki, Elzbieta Pach, Markus Martincic, Magdalena Kierkowicz, Sonia De Munari, Kim Wals, Ritu Raj, Belén Ballesteros, Gerard Tobias, Daniel C. Anthony and Benjamin G. Davis ()
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Christopher J. Serpell: Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford
Reida N. Rutte: Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford
Kalotina Geraki: Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
Elzbieta Pach: Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB
Markus Martincic: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB
Magdalena Kierkowicz: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB
Sonia De Munari: Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford
Kim Wals: Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford
Ritu Raj: Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford
Belén Ballesteros: Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC and The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Campus UAB
Gerard Tobias: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus de la UAB
Daniel C. Anthony: University of Oxford
Benjamin G. Davis: Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The desire to study biology in situ has been aided by many imaging techniques. Among these, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping permits observation of elemental distributions in a multichannel manner. However, XRF imaging is underused, in part, because of the difficulty in interpreting maps without an underlying cellular ‘blueprint’; this could be supplied using contrast agents. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be filled with a wide range of inorganic materials, and thus can be used as ‘contrast agents’ if biologically absent elements are encapsulated. Here we show that sealed single-walled CNTs filled with lead, barium and even krypton can be produced, and externally decorated with peptides to provide affinity for sub-cellular targets. The agents are able to highlight specific organelles in multiplexed XRF mapping, and are, in principle, a general and versatile tool for this, and other modes of biological imaging.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13118

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