Toxicity mechanism of carbon nanotubes on Escherichia coli

► F-MWCNTs possess higher antibiotic performance than that of the F-SWCNTs. ► E. coli cells were pierced when incubated with F-MWCNTs and trapped when incubated with F-SWCNTs. ► The rigidity and moment of CNTs play important role on the antibiotic effect.