Synthesis of titanium dioxide nanotubes with liposomal covers for carrying and extended release of 5-FU as anticancer drug in the treatment of HeLa cells

Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO₂) is an important material used in commerce today. In this study, titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) were synthesized through the electrochemical anodizing method. Subsequently, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), an anticancer drug, was loaded into the nanotubes by the drop-wise method. The liposome solution was prepared from soy lecithin, cholesterol, and polyethylene glycol at room temperature, and then drug-loaded and drug-free TNTs were covered with a liposomal cap. In this research, DLS, zeta potential, TEM, SEM, UV-Vis, and optical microscopy were employed in different stages to characterize liposomal nanocarrier. The release profile of 5-FU from TiO₂ nanotubes with different liposomal layers was investigated. In vitro studies of the toxic effects of drug-free and drug-loaded TNTs nanotubes on HeLa cell line (cervical cancer origin) were performed at various concentrations. Then, the clonogenic potential in HeLa cells after TNTs exposure was evaluated. The cell viability of HeLa cells was determined in the presence of TNTs with different concentrations (3, 30, 100, 200, 300, 1500, and 3000 μg/mL). It revealed that low concentrations of TNTs (under 300 μg/mL) can be considered non-toxic for HeLa cells during 48 h incubation.

Hierarchical assembly of multifunctional oxide-based composite nanostructures for energy and environmental applications

Composite nanoarchitectures represent a class of nanostructured entities that integrates various dissimilar nanoscale building blocks including nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanofilms toward realizing multifunctional characteristics. A broad array of composite nanoarchitectures can be designed and fabricated, involving generic materials such as metal, ceramics, and polymers in nanoscale form. In this review, we will highlight the latest progress on composite nanostructures in our research group, particularly on various metal oxides including binary semiconductors, ABO₃-type perovskites, A₂BO₄ spinels and quaternary dielectric hydroxyl metal oxides (AB(OH)₆) with diverse application potential. Through a generic template strategy in conjunction with various synthetic approaches— such as hydrothermal decomposition, colloidal deposition, physical sputtering, thermal decomposition and thermal oxidation, semiconductor oxide alloy nanowires, metal oxide/perovskite (spinel) composite nanowires, stannate based nanocompostes, as well as semiconductor heterojunction—arrays and networks have been self-assembled in large scale and are being developed as promising classes of composite nanoarchitectures, which may open a new array of advanced nanotechnologies in solid state lighting, solar absorption, photocatalysis and battery, auto-emission control, and chemical sensing.