Nanometer-long Ge-imogolite nanotubes cause sustained lung inflammation and fibrosis in rats

Table 1 Physico-chemical characteristics of Ge-imogolites, crocidolite and WC-Co

	SW imogolites	DW imogolites	Crocidolite	WC-Co
Diameter	3.8 nm^a	4.3 nm^a	330 nm ± 2.1^b	2 μm^c
Length	70 nm ± 31^d	62 nm ± 19^d	2.5 μm ± 2^b	-
External surface	837.5 nm²/tube^e	843.74 nm²/tube^e	8 m²/g^f	1.76 m²/g^f
Number of Ge/ring^g	19	22 + 11	-	-
Number of ring/tube^g	210	186	-	-
Mass per tube^h	1.61 × 10⁻¹⁸ g	2.47 × 10⁻¹⁸ g	-	-
Concentrations
g Ge/lⁱ	2.3	2.2	-	-
g Ge-imogolites/l^j	7.68	7.33
tubes/g Ge-imogolites^k	6.22 × 10¹⁷	4.05 × 10¹⁷
nm²/g^l	5.21 × 10²⁰	3.41 × 10²⁰
m²/g	5.21 × 10¹¹	3.41 × 10¹¹

^aOuter wall diameter for imogolites measured by SAXS.
^bGeometric mean ± standard deviation.
^cd₅₀.
^dMean ± standard deviation measured by AFM.
^eTheoretical external surface (S = π d L).
^fSpecific surface area [29],[30].
^gBased on SAXS curve modeling.
^hNumber of Ge/ring x number of ring/tube x Al₂GeO₃(OH)₄ total MW (242.63 g/mol) / N_A (6.022 × 10²³ tubes/mol).
ⁱConcentrations of stock suspensions determined by ICP-MS.
^jImogolite concentrations were calculated based on the elementary composition of Ge-imogolites (Al₂GeO₃(OH)₄, total MW = 242.63 g/mol and Ge MW = 72.64 g/mol).
^kCalculated from the mass per tube.
^lExternal surface area/g calculated from tubes/g Ge-imogolites and theoretical external surface.

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