Synthesis, Stability, and Cytotoxicity of Novel Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Among engineered nanomaterials, CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are of particular interest due to their unique properties. These NPs' anti-oxidative and auto-reduction natures also render them promising in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, different synthesis methods of CeO2 NPs were studied: an NH4OH precipitation method, a NaOH precipitation method, and a microwave hydrothermal synthesis. Among these methods, the one-pot facile NH4OH method outperformed the others. The synthesized CeO2 NPs were determined to be highly monodispersed 13 nm crystallites with a pH at the potential of zero point charge (pH(zpc)) of 2.2. The valence states of Ce in CeO2 NPs were 3 + and 4 + were determined. The synthesized CeO2 NPs remained stable over 2 days in a medium containing FBS and over 3 days in NaCl solutions. The auto-reduction oxidation cycles of our CeO2 NPs were able to scavenge ROS multiple times. The cytotoxicity of NPs showed CeO2 NPs did not have a significant toxic effect on neuro2A cells. Owing to its synthesis of NPs of small size, with anti-oxidative/auto-reduction nature, with stability in cell culture media, and an absence of cytotoxicity toward neuroblastoma cells, this novel method proves promising as a method to generate CeO2 NPs for biomedical applications.

Automated summary

CeO2 nanoparticles show unique properties and have great potential for biomedical applications.