238: Carbon nanotubes in biomedical application: Synthesis, surface functionalization, and use for urea absorption from the waste dialysate

Abstract: The development of sorbent-based filtration systems for a wearable artificial kidney (WAK) is essential for improving the accessibility and portability of dialysis treatment. A major challenge in WAK design is the efficient regeneration of dialysate through the removal of urea and other metabolic waste products. This study investigates the potential of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and their functionalized derivatives as sorbent materials for urea adsorption. Key techniques used in this study included centrifugation, spectrophotometry, standard curve analysis, and chemical reactions. MWNTs and their derivatives were mixed with a 0.3 g/L urea solution, incubated at 25 °C with agitation, and then centrifuged. Post-treatment urea concentrations were measured using spectrophotometry to evaluate adsorption efficiency. Preliminary results indicate that unmodified MWNTs and carboxylic acid functionalized derivatives show little to no urea adsorption, as test samples exhibited urea concentrations comparable to the control. In contrast, amine-functionalized derivatives demonstrated measurable urea uptake under the same conditions. These findings suggest that amine functionalization may enhance the adsorption capacity of MWNT-based sorbents. Further investigation is warranted to optimize these materials and better evaluate their potential role in dialysate regeneration for wearable artificial kidney systems.