Adsorption, Sensor Properties, AIM Analysis, Docking of an Anticancer Drug Benzamide on Nanocones: SERS, Solvent Effects and DFT Investigation

Abstract

Using first principles, the electrical response of carbon nanocones (NC) to the drug benzamide (BZE) was investigated using density functional theory (DFT). The adsorption energies of BZE at the nanocone’s bottom (Complex I), side (Complex II), and top (Complex III) are −88.35 kcal/mol, −45.46 kcal/mol and −48.73 kcal/mol. The two other adsorptions, Complexes II and III are physisorption, however, the high value of Eads in the case of Complex I with the drop in bond lengths suggests that Complex I adsorption is chemisorption. The electrical conductivity has risen as a result of the considerable decrease in the nanocone energy gap (from 0.63 eV to 0.61 eV, 0.61 eV and 0.60 eV) caused by the adsorption of BZE. It suggests that the nanocones would be a good fit for the electronic sensors and an appropriate choice for BZE detection. Additionally, the BZE adsorption influences the nanocone’s workfunction, which is reduced by approximately 45.19%, 2.8% and 2.05% for complexes I to III. This suggests that the nanocone could be a workfunction-based sensor for the detection of BZE. The increase in binding affinity in complexes reveals that the nanocones will act as a drug delivery carrier. Theoretically, anticipated Raman spectra of BZE and complexes show SERS activity and inactive normal Raman modes are active in the Raman spectrum of complexes. Compounds II and III exhibit weak noncovalent interactions (NCI) and due to the presence of covalent bonding interaction in compound I, significant changes in other bonding and nonbonding electron densities are observed compared to compounds II and III.