Estructuras tridimensionales porosas de nanotubos de carbono multipared con aplicaciones en biomedicina y en biotecnología

Resumo

The main aim of this work was the preparation of three-dimensional, macroporous carbon nanotube supports via a biocompatible route that was based on ice-templating, as well as the study of the applications of these materials in the biomedical and biotechnological fields. In the biomedical field, the aim was to prepare a scaffold with a 3D porous structure that would stimulate the regeneration of bone tissue, due to its internal structure and by virtue of incorporating hydroxyapatite precursors and a bone growth-inducing protein in the structure. In the parallel biotechnological field, the aim of the work was to create a novel material that would be capable of being used as an electrode in microbial fuel cells. The material thus designed and created possessed a morphology that allowed the growth of E. coli cells throughout the structure, while its specific composition also conferred it with conductivity and electrochemical properties that permitted an efficient transfer of energy from the encapsulated bacteria cells to the electrode.