Candida albicans/MWCNTs: A Stable Conductive Bio-Nanocomposite and Its Temperature-Sensing Properties

Author

Di Giacomo, Raffaele ; Maresca, Bruno ; Porta, Alberto ; Sabatino, Paul ; Carapella, G. ; Neitzert, Heinz Christoph

Author_Institution

Dept. of Ind. Eng., Univ. of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

Volume

12

Issue

2

fYear

2013

fDate

Mar-13

Firstpage

111

Lastpage

114

Abstract

A Candida albicans/multiwalled carbon nanotube (Ca/MWCNTs) composite material has been produced. It can be used as a temperature-sensing element operative in a wide temperature range (up to 100 °C). The Ca/MWCNTs composite has excellent linear current-voltage characteristics when combined with coplanar gold electrodes. We used growing cells of C. albicans to structure the CNT-based composite. The fungus C. albicans combined with MWCNTs coprecipitated as an aggregate of cells and nanotubes that formed a viscous material. Microscopic analyses showed that Ca/MWCNTs formed a sort of artificial tissue. Slow temperature cycling was performed up to 12 days showing a stabilization of the temperature response of the material.

Keywords

aggregates (materials); biological tissues; biomedical materials; carbon nanotubes; cellular biophysics; nanocomposites; nanofabrication; nanomedicine; precipitation (physical chemistry); temperature sensors; C; Candida albicans-multiwalled carbon nanotube composite material; artificial tissue; cell aggregate; coplanar gold electrodes; coprecipitation; fungus C. albicans; linear current-voltage characteristics; microscopic analysis; stable conductive bionanocomposite; temperature-sensing properties; viscous material; Carbon nanotubes; Educational institutions; Materials; Microscopy; Temperature; Temperature measurement; Temperature sensors; Artificial tissue; Candida albicans; carbon nanotubes (CNTs); temperature-sensing element;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Nanotechnology, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1536-125X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TNANO.2013.2239308

Filename

6409466