Enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species and photocatalytic activity by Pt-based metallic nanostructures: the composition matters

Bioelectrocatalytic Activity of One-Dimensional Porous Pt Nanoribbons for Efficient Inhibition of Tumor Growth and Metastasis

Designing and synthesizing one-dimensional porous Pt nanocrystals with unique optical, electrocatalytic, and theranostic properties are gaining lots of attention, especially to overcome the challenges of tumor recurrence and resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. Herein, we represented an interesting report of a one-step and facile strategy for synthesizing multifunctional one-dimensional (1D) porous Pt nanoribbons (PtNRBs) with highly efficient therapeutic effects on cancer cells based on inherent electrocatalytic activity. The critical point in the formation of luminescent porous PtNRBs was the use of human hemoglobin (Hb) as a shape-regulating, stabilizing, and reducing agent with facet-specific domains on which fluorescent platinum nanoclusters at first are aggregated by aggregation-induced emission phenomena (AIE) and then crystallized into contact and penetration twins, as intermediate products, followed by shaping of the final luminescent porous ribbon nanomaterials, owing to oriented attachment association via the Ostwald ripening mechanism. From a medical point of view, the key strategy for effective cancer therapy occured via using low-dosage ethanol in the presence of electroactive porous PtNRBs based on intracellular ethanol oxidation-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The role of heme groups of Hb, as electrocatalytically active centers, was successfully demonstrated in both kinetically controlled anisotropic growth of NRBs for slowing down the reduction of Pt(II) followed by oligomerization of Pt(II)-Hb complexes via platinophilic interactions as well as electrocatalytic ethanol oxidation for therapy. Interestingly, hyaluronic acid-targeted (HA) Hb-PtNRB in the presence of low-dose ethanol caused extraordinary arrest of tumor growth and metastasis with no recurrence even after the treatment course stopped, which caused elongation of tumor-bearing mice survival. HA/Hb-PtNRB was completely biocompatible and exhibited high tumor-targeting efficacy for fluorescent imaging of breast tumors. Therefore, the synergistic electrocatalytic activity of PtNRBs is presented as an efficient and safe cancer theranostic method for the first time.

Photo-enhanced enzyme-like activities of BiOBr/PtRu hybrid nanostructures

The combination of semiconductor and metal nanocomponents represents an effective way for design of photocatalysts with high efficiency. It is expected that this strategy can be applied to design photo-regulated nanozymes. To prove this concept, BiOBr/PtRu hybrid nanostructures have been fabricated by depositing PtRu nanoparticles on BiOBr nanosheets through a templating co-reduction method. The formation of BiOBr/PtRu hybrid nanostructures was confirmed by TEM, XRD and XPS. BiOBr/PtRu hybrid nanostructures exhibited excellent enzyme-like activities (peroxidase, oxidase, ferroxidase) as well as the ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals. When exposed to light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), it was found that BiOBr/PtRu hybrid nanostructures not only exhibit improved photocatalytic degradation, but also exhibit enhanced peroxidase- and oxidase-like activity. Due to the photocatalytic effect and the higher charge separation and utilization efficiency caused by heterojunctions, a light-enhanced enzyme-like activity mechanism was proposed. These results will be of value to design high efficiency nanozymes using light for biological and environmental applications.

Computed tomography and photoacoustic imaging guided photodynamic therapy against breast cancer based on mesoporous platinum with insitu oxygen generation ability

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been widely used in cancer treatment. However, hypoxia in most solid tumors seriously restricts the efficacy of PDT. To improve the hypoxic microenvironment, we designed a novel mesoporous platinum (mPt) nanoplatform to catalyze hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) within the tumor cells in situ without an extra enzyme. During the fabrication, the carboxy terminus of the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) was connected to the amino terminus of the bifunctional mercaptoaminopolyglycol (SH-PEG-NH₂) by a condensation reaction, and then PEG-Ce6 was modified onto the mPt moiety via the mercapto terminal of SH-PEG-NH₂. Material, cellular and animal experiments demonstrated that Pt@PEG-Ce6 catalyzed H₂O₂ to produce oxygen (O₂) and that Ce6 transformed O₂ to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon laser irradiation. The Pt@PEG-Ce6 nanoplatform with uniform diameter presented good biocompatibility and efficient tumor accumulation. Due to the high atomic number and good near-infrared absorption for Pt, this Pt@PEG-Ce6 nanoplatform showed computed tomography (CT) and photoacoustic (PA) dual-mode imaging ability, thus providing an important tool for monitoring the tumor hypoxic microenvironment. Moreover, the Pt@PEG-Ce6 nanoplatform reduced the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) in tumors, discussing the relationship between hypoxia, PD-1, and PDT for the first time.

Perspectives on plasma-assisted synthesis of N-doped nanoparticles as nanopesticides for pest control in crops

Green plasma-based technology production of N-doped NPs for a new agri-tech revolution in pest control.

The Enzyme-Like Property and Photocatalytic Effect on α, α-Diphenyl-β-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) of CuPt Nanocomposite

With co-reduction method, a new nanocomposite consisting of Cu and Pt (CuPt) was prepared in household. The morphology of CuPt alloy was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The diameter of CuPt was ca. 125 nm measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The atom ratio of Cu to Pt was determined to be about 1.2 by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). Enzyme-like activities of CuPt, including peroxidase (POD)-like and ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO)-like activities were examined with UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer. The CuPt was found to interact with α, α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in the presence or absence of AA. With irradiation by light emitting diode (LED) light, the photocatalysis effect of CuPt on DPPH was investigated. With the addition of histidine, it was proved that singlet oxygen had an important role in the interaction involving CuPt. The new nanocomposite and the properties suggest various potentials of application.