Carbon nanomaterial shows drug delivery promise: Part 1 - Selection of carbon nanomaterial and drug loading

Carbon Nanofiber synthesized by Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition (CCVD) Method and purified with acid treatment was used as a drug-loading vehicle. The surface area of these Carbon Nanofiber (CNF) was measured by a methylene blue method. Ball milling of purified CNF showed increased surface area. CNF was successfully loaded with four different molecules (aspirin, phenolphthalein, copper sulphate and an anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride). The work presented is a prelude to the direction of using carbon Nanomaterial as a vehicle of drug delivery to the desired sites. Analysis of loaded CNF by TEM, SEM, EDAX, IR and HPTLC confirmed the loading of drug and other tested molecules.