Development of poly(vinyl acetate-methylacrylic acid)/chitosan/Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with magnetic resonance imaging

Cobalt-Tetraamide-Phthalocyanine Immobilized on Fe3O4/Chitosan Microspheres as an Efficient Catalyst for Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation

Cobalt-Tetraamide-Phthalocyanine (CoTaPc) immobilized onto magnetic Fe₃O₄ chitosan microspheres (Fe₃O₄/CTO) was synthesized via a simple immersion method, which is an efficient catalyst for the oxidation of cyclic ketones to lactones with O₂/benzaldehyde as the oxidant. The CoTaPc-Fe₃O₄/CTO catalyst was applied for the first time in the Baeyer-Villiger (B-V) oxidation reaction. Characterization results obtained from X-ray diffraction, UV-vis, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy showed that the combination of CoTaPc and magnetic Fe₃O₄/CTO microspheres was achieved. The catalyst could be easily separated from the reaction system with an external magnet and reused several times without the remarkable loss of activity. In addition, a possible radical mechanism for the B-V oxidation in this catalytic system is proposed and verified by controlled experiments.

Nanomaterials for the theranostics of obesity

As a chronic and lifelong disease, obesity not only significant impairs health but also dramatically shortens life span (at least 10 years). Obesity requires a life-long effort for the successful treatment because a number of abnormalities would appear in the development of obesity. Nanomaterials possess large specific surface area, strong absorptivity, and high bioavailability, especially the good targeting properties and adjustable release rate, which would benefit the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases. Herein, we discussed the therapy and diagnosis of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases by using nanomaterials. Therapies of obesity with nanomaterials include improving intestinal health and reducing energy intake, targeting and treating functional cell abnormalities, regulating redox homeostasis, and removing free lipoprotein in blood. Diagnosis of obesity-related metabolic diseases would benefit the therapy of these diseases. The development of nanomaterials will promote the diagnosis and therapy of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.