DIY Invention: Biomeds Create Carbon Nanopaticles Using Honey And Microwave

A team of researchers at the University of Illinois has discovered a method to produce small carbon nanoparticles using commonly available ingredients. The researchers claim that the nanoparticle thus produced are so small that they can even enter the immune system of the targeted individual.

The industrial method used for the production of carbon nanoparticles is expensive and often takes many days before the actual purified product is obtained. However, the new technique, according to the researchers, can use used to create the same particles in just a few hours, that too with the help of a few ingredients.

"If you have a microwave and honey or molasses, you can pretty much make these particles at home," explained lead researcher Dipanjan Pan, in a statement.

"You just mix them together and cook it for a few minutes, and you get something that looks like char, but that is nanoparticles with high luminescence. This is one of the simplest systems that we can think of. It is safe and highly scalable for eventual clinical use."

The researchers believe that the nanoparticles created by the new method are small enough to carry a pharmaceutical drug into the targeted tissues in the human body. In addition, the team claims that the particles are even capable of reflecting light in near-infrared range, thus facilitating easy detection.

The coating of polymers over the nanoparticles optimizes its optical properties and also manages its degradation rate in the human body. According to the researchers, the polymer coating can be covered with suitable drugs and then released to the targeted tissues.

The complete study findings have been published in the journal Small.

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