Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ying-Ke Hou, Zi-Jian Zhang, Rong-Tian Li, Jian Peng, Si-Yu Chen, Ya-Ru Yue, Wen-Hua Zhang, Bin Sun, Jin-Xiang Chen, Quan Zhou
Summary: To enhance the efficiency of radiation therapy for breast cancer, a designable core-shell nanocomposite FeP@Pt was constructed and covered with hyaluronic acid (HA), forming FeP@Pt@HA (FPH). FPH exhibited good stability, prolonged blood circulation, and tumor-targeting ability. Through endocytosis and activation by the tumor microenvironment (TME), FPH initiated ferroptosis therapy and photothermal therapy (PTT). The catalase activity of Pt nanoshells and high X-ray attenuation coefficient of Pt enhanced radiotherapy (RT) while FPH also showed contrast enhancement in thermal and CT imaging, making it suitable for imaging-guided cancer therapy.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xiangyu Qi, Gang Wang, Peng Wang, Yao Pei, Caiyun Zhang, Miao Yan, Pengfei Wei, Geng Tian, Guilong Zhang
Summary: A novel protein corona-modified nanoplatform has been developed for tumor-targeting photothermal and chemodynamic synergistic therapy. The nanoplatform exhibits high photothermal conversion efficiency and excellent stability. It shows strong chemodynamic therapy ability and can induce cancer cell death. Additionally, it can accurately diagnose cancer, making it a promising candidate for photothermal and chemodynamic synergistic theranostics.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Rasha Hamid, Mustafa Alaziz, Amanpreet S. Mahal, Anthony W. Ashton, Niels Halama, Dirk Jaeger, Xuanmao Jiao, Richard G. Pestell
Summary: CCR5 functions as a co-receptor for HIV entry into immune cells and recent studies have shown its expression on breast cancer epithelial cells. CCR5 on breast cancer epithelial cells induces aberrant cell survival signaling and tropism towards chemo attractants. Inhibitors of CCR5 have shown promising anti-tumor and anti-metastatic properties in preclinical studies.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Kholoud K. Arafa, Hugh D. C. Smyth, Ibrahim M. El-Sherbiny
Summary: This study aimed to develop a sequential targeted core-shell nanoparticulate system for the treatment of breast cancer, utilizing the acidic extracellular environment, hypoxic tumor core, and overexpression of tumor-specific surface antigens. The core-shell NPs showed high drug encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity, successfully inducing apoptosis and cell-cycle abrogation in vitro, and demonstrating efficient anticancer activity in Solid Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice. In conclusion, the developed NPs proved to be effective in sequentially targeting DOX to breast cancer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongda Lu, Shi-Yang Tang, Jiayuan Zhu, Xumin Huang, Helen Forgham, Xiangke Li, Ao Shen, Guolin Yun, Jinming Hu, Shiwu Zhang, Thomas P. Davis, Weihua Li, Ruirui Qiao
Summary: By nanoengineering liquid metal nanoparticles and using galvanic replacement, diverse core-shell nanostructures including LM@Au, Au@Ga oxide, and hollow Ga oxide nanoparticles are successfully fabricated. LM@Au exhibits exceptional photothermal performance with a conversion efficiency of 65.9%, which is five times that of gold nanoparticles. The high photothermal conversion efficiency and biocompatibility of LM@Au show promising applications in hyperthermia cancer therapy.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jialun Duan, Chunjie Bao, Ying Xie, Haitao Guo, Yixuan Liu, Jianwei Li, Rui Liu, Peishan Li, Jing Bai, Yan Yan, Limin Mu, Xueqi Li, Guiling Wang, Wanliang Lu
Summary: This study developed a targeted core-shell nano-particles carrying dual plasmids for precise gene insertion to treat metastatic breast cancer, and found the associated inhibitory mechanism.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rong-Tian Li, Yi-Dan Zhu, Wen-Ya Li, Ying-Ke Hou, Yi-Ming Zou, Ying-Hua Zhao, Quan Zou, Wen-Hua Zhang, Jin-Xiang Chen
Summary: A multifunctional nanoplatform with core-shell structure was constructed for the synergistic treatment of breast cancer. This pH-dissociable platform can release drugs gradually in the acidic tumor microenvironment. The platform has shown remarkable anti-tumor activity.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cong Song, Mengsi Zhan, Zhijun Ouyang, Yuge Yao, Yue Gao, Mingwu Shen, Xiangyang Shi
Summary: In this study, a programmed strategy was developed to activate the tumoral immune microenvironment and promote the maturation of dendritic cells. This was achieved through the use of two modules of core-shell tecto dendrimer-based nanomedicines, which enhanced the chemoimmunotherapy of an orthotopic breast tumor model.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ruizhi Wang, Guofeng Zhou, Yuchan Yang, Shiqing Wang, Shanshan Gao, Dongmei Gao, Xiaolin Wang
Summary: This article studies the advantages of gold as a photothermal material in deep tissue penetration and high spatial accuracy. Through the study and characterization of gold with different sizes and shapes, it is found that core-shell nanoparticles have excellent photothermal conversion performance and show great potential in targeted photothermal therapy.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jingjun Sun, Shuangjiu Zhu, Weixuan Xu, Guoqin Jiang
Summary: In this study, a complex nanoparticle was developed for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy of breast cancer. The nanoparticles exhibited good photothermal effects and triggered drug release through temperature and redox responsiveness. In vitro studies showed effective induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells through inhibition of heat shock proteins and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. In a breast tumor-bearing mice model, the nanoparticles demonstrated significant inhibitory effects on cancer growth.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Huang Wen, Pekka Poutiainen, Enkhzaya Batnasan, Leena Latonen, Vesa-Pekka Lehto, Wujun Xu
Summary: Mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) are a promising nanomedicine platform with the ability of radiolabeling, drug loading, and cancer targeting. The functionalized NPs showed good radiochemical and colloidal stability, and exhibited enhanced cellular uptake and improved chemotherapy in vitro.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xingyu Long, Xiaojie Zhang, Qiaohui Chen, Min Liu, Yuting Xiang, Yuqi Yang, Zuoxiu Xiao, Jia Huang, Xiaoyuan Wang, Chong Liu, Yayun Nan, Qiong Huang
Summary: This article comprehensively summarizes recent advances in nucleus-targeting phototherapy, classifying it into three categories and providing insights and prospects for future developments. This mini-review provides unique insights and valuable clues in the design of phototherapy nanodrugs and other nucleus-targeting drugs.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elisa Bindini, Maria de los Angeles Ramirez, Xabier Rios, Unai Cossio, Cristina Simo, Vanessa Gomez-Vallejo, Galo Soler-Illia, Jordi Llop, Sergio E. Moya
Summary: A novel method was reported to track the in vivo degradation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles, showing that these nanoparticles have fast degradation kinetics in vivo.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chan Zheng, Ziqiao Li, Tiantian Xu, Ling Chen, Fang Fang, Dai Wang, Pinqiang Dai, Qianting Wang, Xinyu Wu, Xiaohui Yan
Summary: Magnetic helical micro/nanoswimmers, inspired by E. coli bacterium, can perform controlled locomotion in various fluids and possess photothermal attributes and high surface areas. They are envisioned for applications in biomedical, environmental purification, etc.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Juan Esteban Montoya Cardona, Dounia Louaguef, Eric Gaffet, Nureddin Ashammakhi, Halima Alem
Summary: Despite some delays in clinical implementation, functionalized magnetic and photothermal nanostructures remain the most promising way to target hyperthermia treatment of cancer towards local tumor regions. The synthesis method and parameters play a crucial role in optimizing the physicochemical properties for efficient energy transduction into locally released heat. This review aims to provide the latest applications and prospects of nanomaterials for hyperthermia properties.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Ya-Ting Qiu, Li-Hong Hong, Zhi-Yuan Li
Summary: This work theoretically and systematically investigates the second harmonic generation (SHG) in a lithium niobate (LN) crystal by considering the transmission and reflection of TE-polarized pump light at the air-crystal interface. The physical process of light beam transport and nonlinear optical polarization generation in the crystal is described, and the reflection coefficient and transmission coefficient of pump light are derived. The conversion efficiency of the second-harmonic wave is found to depend on the transmission coefficient and other physical quantities, such as the length of the crystal and the amplitude of pump light, under the transmission and reflection models. The proposed analytical theory and formulation provide an accurate tool for evaluating the SHG energy conversion efficiency in practical situations and can be applied to other nonlinear optics problems.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Quynh N. Nguyen, Chenxiao Wang, Yuxin Shang, Annemieke Janssen, Younan Xia
Summary: Nanocrystals offer a unique platform for enhancing the performance of solid materials in various applications. Asymmetrical growth and symmetry breaking provide a powerful approach to enrich metal nanocrystals with new shapes, complex morphologies, and unprecedented properties. This Review summarizes recent progress in understanding and controlling asymmetrical growth and symmetry breaking in the colloidal synthesis of noble-metal nanocrystals. It discusses methods for generating seeds with diverse symmetry and achieving asymmetrical growth, showcases symmetry-broken nanocrystals, and highlights their growth mechanisms, properties, and applications. Future directions in developing this class of nanomaterials are also discussed.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoju Yang, Bingjun Xu, Jingguang G. Chen, Xuan Yang
Summary: Distributed electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) powered by renewable energy for the on-site production of ammonia is an attractive alternative to the industrial Haber-Bosch process, which is responsible for roughly 2 % of global energy consumption. In this Review, we summarize recent progress in the ENRR catalyzed by transition metal nitrides (TMNs). The unique electronic structures of TMNs make them promising ENRR catalysts for active and selective ammonia production, which have been predicted theoretically and demonstrated experimentally. Reaction pathways and deactivation mechanisms of the ENRR on different TMNs are surveyed, and current understanding of structure-activity relations is discussed. To develop highly active, selective, and stable TMN catalysts for industrial-scale ENRR, membrane electrode assembly configuration is recommended in catalyst evaluation. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of developing mechanistic understanding on ENRR with different operando spectroscopic techniques.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Konstantinos G. Papanikolaou, Yifeng Shi, Roberto Schimmenti, Younan Xia, Manos Mavrikakis
Summary: In this study, the significance of coverage effects on the structure-sensitivity of formic acid electrooxidation (FAO) over Pd surfaces in direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) with Pd anode catalysts was investigated using density functional theory (DFT). The results showed that Pd(100) and Pd(211) surfaces are the most active surfaces, and the presence of CO spectator species can alter the preferred electrooxidation pathway under different applied potentials. These findings provide insights for the design of improved FAO electrocatalysts.
JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haoyan Cheng, Chenxiao Wang, Zhiheng Lyu, Zhihong Zhu, Younan Xia
Summary: We present a method for controlling the nucleation and growth of Au nanoparticles on the surface of a-Se nanospheres. The Au0 atoms are only produced on the surface of the a-Se nanospheres during the nucleation stage, allowing us to control the number and morphology of the Au nanoparticles. By adjusting the pH, Se-Au hybrid nanoparticles containing different numbers of Au nanoparticles on each a-Se nanosphere can be obtained. The presence of Au patches on the hybrid nanoparticles can enhance cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of the a-Se nanospheres.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Optics
Lihong Hong, Chenyang Hu, Yuanyuan Liu, Huijun He, Liqiang Liu, Zhiyi Wei, Zhi-Yuan Li
Summary: In this study, a high-efficiency supercontinuum white laser with large bandwidth and high pulse energy was generated using a single nonlinear crystal. By exploiting the synergistic effects of high-harmonic generation and self-phase modulation, a 2.8-octave-spanning UV-Vis-IR supercontinuum white laser was achieved. This breakthrough has significant implications for various applications in basic science and high technology.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Minghao Xie, Min Shen, Ruhui Chen, Younan Xia
Summary: In this study, Pt-Ni nanocrystals with controlled shapes and compositions were synthesized to investigate the impact of Ni content on the formation of {111} facets and ORR activity. By excluding O-2 completely, a linear relationship was achieved between the atomic ratio of Pt to Ni in the nanocrystals and the feeding ratio of the precursors. The specific ORR activities of octahedral nanocrystals exhibited a positive correlation with the Pt/Ni atomic ratio, with a peak value at a Pt/Ni atomic ratio of 1.6 after the accelerated durability test.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoyu Qiu, Veronica Pawlik, Shan Zhou, Jing Tao, Younan Xia
Summary: Two growth patterns of Au atoms on penta-twinned Pd decahedra were reported, resulting in asymmetric Pd-Au Janus icosahedra and anisotropic Pd@Au core-shell starfishes, respectively. The injection rate of Au(III) ions determined the growth pattern, with slow injection leading to asymmetric growth and fast injection resulting in symmetric growth. Mechanistic analysis revealed the formation process of the two heterostructures.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Veronica Pawlik, Shan Zhou, Dong Qin, Younan Xia
Summary: This article summarizes the significant progress made in the synthesis, structure-property relationship, and application of plasmonic nanomaterials. It provides specific examples of demonstrations and developments, and discusses the challenges and opportunities in pushing plasmonic nanomaterials to the next level of success.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chenxiao Wang, Ying Lyu, Younan Xia
Summary: We report a simple method to synthesize Pd@Rh core-shell nanocubes with ultrathin Rh shell and well-defined {100} facets for the production of Rh cubic nanocages. The growth of Rh overlayers on Pd cubic seeds can be controlled by adjusting the deposition and diffusion rates of Rh adatoms. The resulting Rh nanocages exhibit enhanced shape stability and ultrathin walls with preserved {100} facets, which has not been reported previously.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Elda A. Trevino, Jimmy Shah, Joseph J. Pearson, Manu O. Platt, Younan Xia, Johnna S. Temenoff
Summary: This study successfully developed a novel microfluidic device to fabricate uniform, hydrolytically degradable microparticles loaded with the cathepsin inhibitor E-64. Commercially available fluorogenic assays were validated to quantify the release and bioactivity of the inhibitor from the biomaterial carriers. These technologies make significant contributions towards local delivery of cathepsin inhibitors.
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART C-METHODS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Chenxiao Wang, Yifeng Shi, Dong Qin, Younan Xia
Summary: With the mastery over colloidal synthesis of monometallic nanocrystals, the combination of two different metals with intricate architectures has emerged as a new direction of innovation. The core-shell structure has attracted significant scientific interest due to its high controllability and variability. However, the addition of a shell composed of a different metal brings unexpected complications for surface composition, hindering both structural understanding and application performance. This article provides an overview of the opportunities and technical challenges associated with bimetallic core-shell nanocrystals and highlights promising solutions for future research advances.
NANOSCALE HORIZONS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Haoyan Cheng, Chenxiao Wang, Dong Qin, Younan Xia
Summary: Galvanic replacement synthesis is a method involving oxidation and dissolution of atoms from a substrate while reducing and depositing a salt precursor on the substrate. It offers advantages over conventional electrosynthesis due to the use of micro/nanostructured materials, which increase surface area and enable intimate mixing with the precursor. The synthesis enables control over the growth pattern of deposited atoms on the substrate, leading to diverse nanomaterials with controllable compositions and shapes.
ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu Zhang, Shaobo Han, Shangqian Zhu, Ruhui Chen, Tiehuai Li, Zhiheng Lyu, Ming Zhao, Meng Gu, Minhua Shao, Younan Xia
Summary: Surface ligands play an important role in shape-controlled growth and stabilization of colloidal nanocrystals. This study demonstrates a method to slowly remove surface ligands from Pd nanosheets, resulting in enhanced stability and structural characteristics. The slow removal of ligands promotes surface reconstruction and increases the stability of the nanosheets, making them promising for applications in electrocatalysis and other fields.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Song Shen, Jichuan Qiu, Da Huo, Younan Xia
Summary: Photothermal therapy shows great potential in killing cancer cells through hyperthermia. The efficacy is affected by various parameters, including the laser, photothermal transducers, spatial distribution of the transducers, bioeffect of the tissue (heat-sink effect, thermal conductivity), and real-time temperature monitoring.