Characterization of carbon nanotubes and analytical methods for their determination in environmental and biological samples: A review

[Display omitted] •Analytical techniques for characterization of CNTs: classification, description and examples.•Determination methods for CNTs in biological and environmental samples.•Future trends and perspectives for characterization and determination of CNTs. In the present paper, a critical overview of the most commonly used techniques for the characterization and the determination of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is given on the basis of 170 references (2000–2014). The analytical techniques used for CNT characterization (including microscopic and diffraction, spectroscopic, thermal and separation techniques) are classified, described, and illustrated with applied examples. Furthermore, the performance of sampling procedures as well as the available methods for the determination of CNTs in real biological and environmental samples are reviewed and discussed according to their analytical characteristics. In addition, future trends and perspectives in this field of work are critically presented.