Multiwall carbon nanotube antennas induce effective plasmid DNA transfection of bacterial cells

The polarization and antenna properties of carbon nanotubes were recognized from a theoretical standpoint more than 2 decades ago. Subsequently, the antenna-length effect was demonstrated on arrays of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and antennas fabricated from networks of MWCNTs were shown to resonate on exposure to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. A host of applications in optoelectronics of considerable commercial significance have been suggested. Our group was the first to propose application of this property of MWCNTs to the biomedical field. In the present paper we predict and provide a proof of concept that MWCNTs are able to function as effective microwave antennas and that the antenna effect can be exploited to transfer genetic material within living bacteria exemplified by experimental data collected on E.coli bacteria.