Preparation of AIE-active fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles through a catalyst-free thiol-yne click reaction for bioimaging applications

Click Chemistry for Biofunctional Polymers: From Observing to Steering Cell Behavior

Click chemistry has become one of the most powerful construction tools in the field of organic chemistry, materials science, and polymer science, as it offers hassle-free platforms for the high-yielding synthesis of novel materials and easy functionalization strategies. The absence of harsh reaction conditions or complicated workup procedures allowed the rapid development of novel biofunctional polymeric materials, such as biopolymers, tailor-made polymer surfaces, stimulus-responsive polymers, etc. In this review, we discuss various types of click reactions─including azide-alkyne cycloadditions, nucleophilic and radical thiol click reactions, a range of cycloadditions (Diels-Alder, tetrazole, nitrile oxide, etc.), sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click reaction, and oxime-hydrazone click reactions─and their use for the formation and study of biofunctional polymers. Following that, we discuss state-of-the-art biological applications of "click"-biofunctionalized polymers, including both passive applications (e.g., biosensing and bioimaging) and "active" ones that aim to direct changes in biosystems, e.g., for drug delivery, antiviral action, and tissue engineering. In conclusion, we have outlined future directions and existing challenges of click-based polymers for medicinal chemistry and clinical applications.

Exploring nanodiamonds: leveraging their dual capacities for anticancer photothermal therapy and temperature sensing

Cancer has become a primary global health concern, which has prompted increased attention towards targeted therapeutic approaches like photothermal therapy (PTT). The unique optical and magnetic properties of nanodiamonds (NDs) have made them versatile nanomaterials with promising applications in biomedicine. This comprehensive review focuses on the potential of NDs as a multifaceted platform for anticancer therapy, mainly focusing on their dual functionality in PTT and temperature sensing. The review highlighted NDs' ability to enhance PTT through hybridization or modification, underscoring their adaptability in delivering small molecule reagents effectively. Furthermore, NDs, particularly fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) with negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centers, enable precise temperature monitoring, enhancing PTT efficacy in anticancer treatment. Integrating FNDs into PTT holds promise for advancing therapeutic efficacy by providing valuable insights into localized temperature variations and cell death mechanisms. This review highlights new insights into cancer treatment strategies, showcasing the potential of NDs to revolutionize targeted therapeutics and improve patient outcomes.

AIE-Featured Redox-Sensitive Micelles for Bioimaging and Efficient Anticancer Drug Delivery

In the present study, an amphiphilic polymer was prepared by conjugating methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) with tetraphenylethene (TPE) via disulfide bonds (Bi(mPEG-S-S)-TPE). The polymer could self-assemble into micelles and solubilize hydrophobic anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX) in the core. Combining the effect of TPE, mPEG, and disulfide bonds, the Bi(mPEG-S-S)-TPE micelles exhibited excellent AIE feature, reduced protein adsorption, and redox-sensitive drug release behavior. An in vitro intracellular uptake study demonstrated the great imaging ability and efficient internalization of Bi(mPEG-S-S)-TPE micelles. The excellent anticancer effect and low systemic toxicity were further evidenced by the in vivo anticancer experiment. The Bi(mPEG-S-S)-TPE micelles were promising drug carriers for chemotherapy and bioimaging.

A novel fluorescent probe based on a triphenylamine derivative for the detection of HSO3- with high sensitivity and selectivity

A novel highly active fluorescence chemical sensor (TBQN) for HSO₃^- was synthesized by the Knoevenagel reaction based on triphenylamine-benzothiazole as a new fluorophore. The probe possessed good selectivity toward HSO₃^- and anti-interference ability with common ions. The fluorescence and UV-vis spectra of the TBQN probe were significantly changed after the addition of HSO₃^-. At the same time, the probe solution released obvious green fluorescence. Moreover, the limit of detection for HSO₃^- was calculated to be 3.19 × 10^-8 M. The TBQN probe displayed a rapid response to HSO₃^- and it took about 3 min to complete the recognition. The detection mechanism is the nucleophilic addition reaction between HSO₃^- and -C[double bond, length as m-dash]C- in the probe molecule. The π-conjugation and ICT (intramolecular charge transfer) transition in the TBQN molecule were destroyed by this addition, which resulted in the change of the fluorescence before and after the addition of HSO₃^-. Then, the mechanism was verified by theoretical calculations, ¹H NMR measurements and mass spectroscopy. In addition, the probe showed low cytotoxicity and could be used for biological imaging in RAW264.7 cells.

State-of-art review on preparation, surface functionalization and biomedical applications of cellulose nanocrystals-based materials

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are a class of sustainable nanomaterials that are obtained from plants and microorganisms. These naturally derived nanomaterials are of abundant hydroxyl groups, well biocompatibility, low cost and biodegradable potential, making them suitable and promising candidates for various applications, especially in biomedical fields. In this review, the recent advances and development on the preparation, surface functionalization and biomedical applications of CNCs-based materials have been summarized and outlined. The main context of this paper could be divided into the following three parts. In the first part, the preparation strategies based on physical, chemical, enzymatic and combination techniques for preparation of CNCs have been summarized. The surface functionalization methods for synthesis CNCs-based materials with designed properties and functions were outlined in the following section. Finally, the current state about applications of CNCs-based materials for tissue engineering, medical hydrogels, biosensors, fluorescent imaging and intracellular delivery of biological agents have been highlighted. Moreover, current issues and future directions about the above aspects have also pointed out and discussed. We believe this review will attract great research attention of scientists from materials, chemistry, biomedicine and other disciplines. It will also provide some important insights on the future development of CNCs-based materials especially in biomedical fields.

Fabrication of claviform fluorescent polymeric nanomaterials containing disulfide bond through an efficient and facile four-component Ugi reaction

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have attracted broad interest for preparation of functional nanomaterials especially for the synthesis of functional polymers. Herein, we utilized an "old" MCR, the four-component Ugi reaction, to synthesize disulfide bond containing poly(PEG-TPE-DTDPA) amphiphilic copolymers with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature. This four-component Ugi reaction was carried out under rather mild reaction conditions, such as room temperature, no gas protection and absent of catalysts. The amphiphilic poly(PEG-TPE-DTDPA) copolymers with high number-average molecular weight (up to 86,440 Da) can self-assemble into claviform fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles (FPNs) in aqueous solution, and these water-dispersed nanoparticles exhibited strong emission, large Stokes shift (142 nm), low toxicity and remarkable ability in cellular imaging. Moreover, owing to the introduction of 3,3'-dithiodipropionic acid with disulfide bond, the resultant AIE-active poly(PEG-TPE-DTDPA) could display reduction-responsiveness and be utilized for synthesis of photothermal agents in-situ. Therefore, the AIE-active poly(PEG-TPE-DTDPA) could be promising for controlled intracellular delivery of biological activity molecules and fabrication of multifunctional AIE-active materials. Therefore, these novel AIE-active polymeric nanoparticles could be of great potential for various biomedical applications, such as biological imaging, stimuli-responsive drug delivery and theranostic applications.

Surface grafting of fluorescent polymers on halloysite nanotubes through metal-free light-induced controlled polymerization: Preparation, characterization and biological imaging

Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are a kind of aluminosilicate clay with a unique hollow tubular structure that has been intensively explored for various applications especially in biomedical fields owing to their excellent biocompatibility, biodegrading potential and low cost. Surface modification of HNTs with functional polymers will greatly improve their properties and endow new functions for biomedical applications. In this work, a light-induced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization was introduced to successfully prepare HNTs based fluorescent HNTs/poly(PEGMA-Fl) composites in the presence of oxygen using diacrylate-fluorescein and poly (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) as the monomers. Without other catalysts, heating, and deoxygenation procedure, the polymerization process can take place under mild conditions. Besides, owing to the introduction of fluorescein and PEGMA on the surface of HNTs, the resultant HNTs/poly(PEGMA-Fl) composites display high water dispersibility and stable fluorescence. The results from cell viability examination and confocal laser scanning microscopy also demonstrated that HNTs/poly(PEGMA-Fl) composites could be internalized by L929 cells with bright fluorescence and low cytotoxicity. Taken together, we developed a novel photo-initiated RAFT polymerization method for the fabrication of HNTs based fluorescent polymeric composites with great potential for biomedical applications. More importantly, many other multifunctional HNTs based polymer composites could also be fabricated through a similar strategy owing to good designability of RAFT polymerization.

Recent progress and advances in the environmental applications of MXene related materials

MXenes are a new type of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbide or carbonitride material with a 2D structure similar to graphene. The general formula of MXenes is M_n+1X_nT_x, in which M is an early transition metal element, X represents carbon, nitrogen and boron, and T is a surface oxygen-containing or fluorine-containing group. These novel 2D materials possess a unique 2D layered structure, large specific surface area, good conductivity, stability, and mechanical properties. Benefitting from these properties, MXenes have received increasing attention and emerged as new substrate materials for exploration of various applications including, energy storage and conversion, photothermal treatment, drug delivery, environmental adsorption and catalytic degradation. The progress on various applications of MXene-based materials has been reviewed; while only a few of them covered environmental remediation, surface modification of MXenes has never been highlighted. In this review, we highlight recent advances and achievements in surface modification and environmental applications (such as environmental adsorption and catalytic degradation) of MXene-based materials. The current studies on the biocompatibility and toxicity of MXenes and related materials are summarized in the following sections. The challenges and future directions of the environmental applications of MXene-based materials are also discussed and highlighted.

Red aggregation-induced emission luminogen and Gd3+ codoped mesoporous silica nanoparticles as dual-mode probes for fluorescent and magnetic resonance imaging

Fluorescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging have been research hotspots for adjuvant therapy and diagnosis. However, traditional fluorescent probes or contrast agents possess insurmountable weaknesses. In this work, we reported the preparation of dual-mode probes based on mesoporous silica nanomaterials (MSNs), which were doped with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) dye and Gd³⁺ through a direct sol-gel method. In this system, the obtained materials emitted strong red fluorescence, in which the maximum emission wavelength was located at 669 nm, and could be applied as effective fluorescence probes for fluorescence microscopy imaging. Furthermore, the introduction of Gd³⁺ made the nanoparticles effective contrast agents when applied in contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging because they could improve the contrast of MR imaging. The excellent biocompatibility of these nanoparticles, as demonstrated via a typical CCK-8 assay, and their performance in fluorescence cell imaging and MR imaging shows their potential for applications in biomedical imaging.

Recent development and prospects of surface modification and biomedical applications of MXenes

MXenes, as a novel kind of two-dimensional (2D) materials, were first discovered by Gogotsi et al. in 2011. Owing to their multifarious chemical compositions and outstanding physicochemical properties, the novel types of 2D materials have attracted intensive research interest for potential applications in various fields such as energy storage and conversion, environmental remediation, catalysis, and biomedicine. Although many achievements have been made in recent years, there still remains a lack of reviews to summarize these recent advances of MXenes, especially in biomedical fields. Understanding the current status of surface modification, biomedical applications and toxicity of MXenes and related materials will give some inspiration to the development of novel methods for the preparation of multifunctional MXene-based materials and promote the practical biomedical applications of MXenes and related materials. In this review, we present the recent developments in the surface modification of MXenes and the biomedical applications of MXene-based materials. In the first section, some typical surface modification strategies were introduced and the related issues were also discussed. Then, the potential biomedical applications (such as biosensor, biological imaging, photothermal therapy, drug delivery, theranostic nanoplatforms, and antibacterial agents) of MXenes and related materials were summarized and highlighted in the following sections. In the last section, the toxicity and biocompatibility of MXenes in vitro were mentioned. Finally, the development, future directions and challenges about the surface modification of MXene-based materials for biomedical applications were discussed. We believe that this review article will attract great interest from the scientists in materials, chemistry, biomedicine and related fields and promote the development of MXenes and related materials for biomedical applications.

Advances of Nano-Structured Extended-Release Local Anesthetics

Extended-release local anesthetics (LAs) have drawn increasing attention with their promising role in improving analgesia and reducing adverse events of LAs. Nano-structured carriers such as liposomes and polymersomes optimally meet the demands of/for extended-release, and have been utilized in drug delivery over decades and showed satisfactory results with extended-release. Based on mature technology of liposomes, EXPAREL, the first approved liposomal LA loaded with bupivacaine, has seen its success in an extended-release form. At the same time, polymersomes has advances over liposomes with complementary profiles, which inspires the emergence of hybrid carriers. This article summarized the recent research successes on nano-structured extended-release LAs, of which liposomal and polymeric are mainstream systems. Furthermore, with continual optimization, drug delivery systems carry properties beyond simple transportation, such as specificity and responsiveness. In the near future, we may achieve targeted delivery and controlled-release properties to satisfy various analgesic requirements.

Preparation and biological imaging of fluorescent hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) through surface-initiated cationic ring-opening polymerization

Fluorescent hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles have received significant attention in biomedical fields due to their outstanding advantages, such as low immunogenicity, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, fluorescent HAp nanoparticles with well controlled size and morphology are coated with hydrophobic molecules and their biomedical applications are largely restricted by their poor dispersibility in physiological solutions. Therefore, surface modification of these hydrophobic fluorescent HAp nanoparticles to render them water dispersibility is of utmost importance for biomedical applications. In this work, we reported for the first time for preparation of water-dispersible hydrophilic fluorescent Eu³⁺-doped HAp nanoparticles (named as HAp-PEOTx) through the cationic ring-opening polymerization using hydrophilic and biocompatible 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline (EOTx) as the monomer. The characterization techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to characterize these samples. Results confirmed that we could successfully obtain the hydrophilic fluorescent HAp-PEOTx composites through the strategy described above. These fluorescent HAp-PEOTx composites display great water dispersibility, unique fluorescent properties and excellent biocompatibility, making them promising for in vitro bioimaging applications.

Three dimensional (3D) printed polylactic acid with nano-hydroxyapatite doped with europium(III) ions (nHAp/PLLA@Eu3+) composite for osteochondral defect regeneration and theranostics

In the current research previously developed composites composed from poly (l-lactide) (PLLA) and nano-hydroxyapatite (10 wt% nHAp/PLLA) were functionalized with different concentrations of europium (III) (Eu³⁺). The aim of this study was to determine whether Eu³⁺ ions doped within the 10 wt% nHAp/PLLA scaffolds will improve the bioactivity of composites. Therefore, first set of experiments was designed to evaluate the effect of Eu³⁺ ions on morphology, viability, proliferation and metabolism of progenitor cells isolated from adipose tissue (hASC). Three different concentration were tested i.e. 1 mol%, 3 mol% and 5%mol. We identified the 10 wt% nHAp/PLLA@3 mol% Eu³⁺ scaffolds as the most cytocompatible. Further, we investigated the influence of the composites doped with 3 mol% Eu³⁺ ions on differentiation of hASC toward bone and cartilage forming cells. Our results showed that 10 wt% nHAp/PLLA@3 mol% Eu³⁺ scaffolds promotes osteogenesis and chondrogenesis of hASCs what was associated with improved synthesis and secretion of extracellular matrix proteins specific for bone and articular cartilage tissue. We also proved that obtained biomaterials have bio-imaging function and their integration with bone can be monitored using micro computed tomography (μCT).

Complexation and fluorescence behavior of proflavin with chemically engineered amine capped carbon nanodots and its subsequent release into DNA environments

Amine capped carbon dots are prepared by pyrolysis of citric acid. Probable excited-state interactions between PF and CNDs have been studied. A controlled release of PF into ctDNA by CNDs shows their utility as an efficient drug delivery agent.

Ultrasound-assisted catalyst-free thiol-yne click reaction in chitosan chemistry: Antibacterial and transfection activity of novel cationic chitosan derivatives and their based nanoparticles

In this work, we demonstrate that the thiol-yne click reaction could be efficiently mediated by ultrasonic irradiation and implement the ultrasound-assisted thiol-yne click reaction to chitosan chemistry as a polymer-analogous transformation. We optimize power and frequency of ultrasound to preserve selectivity of the click reaction and avoid ultrasonic degradation of the chitosan polymer chain. Thus, we obtain a new water-soluble betaine. Using ionic gelation of the obtained betaine derivatives of chitosan, we prepare nanoparticles with a unimodal size distribution. Furthermore, we present results of antibacterial and transfection activity tests for the chitosan derivatives and their based nanoparticles. The derivative with a medium molecular weight and a high degree of substitution demonstrated the best antibacterial effect. It derived nanoparticles with a size of ca. 100 nm and ζ-potential of ca. +69 mV revealed even higher antibacterial activity, slightly superior to commercial antibiotics ampicillin and gentamicin. On the contrary, the obtained polymers possess a much more pronounced transfection activity as compared with their based nanoparticles and species with a low degree of substitution acts as the most efficient transfecting agent. Moreover, the obtained betaine chitosan derivatives as well as their derived nanoparticles are non-toxic.

The combination of Diels-Alder reaction and redox polymerization for preparation of functionalized CNTs for intracellular controlled drug delivery

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel type of one-dimensional carbon nanomaterials that have been widely utilized for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, cancer photothermal treatment owing to their high surface area and unique interaction with cell membranes. However, their biomedical applications are still impeded by some drawbacks, including poor water dispersibility, lack of functional groups and toxicity. Therefore, surface modification of CNTs to overcome these issues should be importance and of great interest. In this work, we reported for the first time that CNTs could be surface modification through the combination of Diels-Alder (D-A) reaction and redox polymerization, this strategy shows the advantages of mild reaction conditions, water tolerance, low temperature and hydroxyl-surfaced initiator. In this modification procedure, the hydroxyl groups were introduced on the surface of CNTs through the D-A reaction that was adopted for grafting the copolymers, which were initiated by the Ce(IV)/HNO₃ redox system using the hydrophilic and biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) and carboxyl-rich acrylic acid (AA) as monomers. The final CNTs-OH-PAA@PEGMA composites were characterized by a series of characterization techniques. The drug loading and release results suggested that anticancer agent cis‑platinum (CDDP) could be loaded on CNTs-OH-PAA@PEGMA composites through coordination with carboxyl groups and drug release behavior could be controlled by pH. More importantly, the cell viability results clearly demonstrated that CNTs-OH-PAA@PEGMA composites displayed low toxicity and the drug could be transported in cells and still maintain their therapeutic effects.

"Two in one": Simultaneous functionalization and DOX loading for fabrication of nanodiamond-based pH responsive drug delivery system

Nanodiamond (ND) has been widely studied as a new type of carbon nanomaterials that is expected to be used as a promising candidate in various fields especially in the field of biomedicine. However, its poor water dispersibility and insufficient controlled release limit its practical applications. In this paper, ND-based composites with pH-responsive hydrazone bonds were successfully prepared by a simple chemical reaction between ester groups and hydrazine hydrate, in which ester groups were conjugated on the surface of ND via thiol-ene click reaction. On the other hand, CHO-PEG and doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) were linked on the carriers through formation of hydrazone bonds, resulting in improving water dispersibility and high drug loading capacity. The structure, thermal stability, surface morphology and particle size of ND carriers were characterized by different equipment. Results demonstrated that we have successfully prepared these functionalized ND. The release rate of DOX in acidic environment was significantly greater than that in normal physiological environment. More importantly, cell viability and optical imaging results showed that ND-based composites possess good biocompatibility, therapeutic effect, and could successfully transport DOX to HepG2 cells. Considering the above results, we believe that our new ND carriers will become promising candidates for intracellular controlled drug delivery and cancer treatment.

A novel nucleic acid based bio-assay toward recognition of Haemophilus influenza using bioconjugation and DNA hybridization method

Haemophilus influenza (H. influenza) is a gram negative coccobacillus pathogenic microorganism. H. influenza produces beta-lactamases, and it is also able to modify its penicillin-binding proteins, so it has gained resistance to the penicillin family of antibiotics. In this work, a novel sensitive approach was established for the monitoring of H. influenza using DNA based bio-assay. For the first time, specific sequence of thiolated probe of Haemophilus influenza (SH-5'-AAT TTT CCA ACT TTT TCA CCT GCA T-3') was immobilized on the surface of gold (Au) electrode. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) was carried out in toluidine blue (TB) solution for DNA hybridization and targeting of cDNA sequence of Haemophilus influenza. Field scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was applied to investigation of the electrode morphology and estimate of particle size. In the optimal conditions, the planned strategy could detect target DNA (5'-ATG CAG GTG AAA AAG TTG GAA AAT T-3') down to 1 ZM with a linear range from 1 μM to 1 ZM. Moreover, engineered geno-assay selectively differentiates the complementary sequence from target sequences with one, double and three base mismatch sequences.

Surface modification of fluorescent Tb3+-doped layered double hydroxides with hyperbranched polymers through host-guest interaction

The preparation of fluorescent inorganic-organic polymer composites for biomedical applications has become one of the most interest research focuses recently. In this work, we reported a novel method for the preparation of Tb³⁺-doped luminescent layered double hydroxides (LDHs) based composites by taken advantage of a one-pot supramolecular chemistry. The adamantane can be immobilized on the surface of Tb³⁺-doped LDHs to obtain LDH-Ad, which could be further utilized for modified by the β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) containing hyperbranched polyglycerols (β-CD-HPG) through the host-guest interaction. Based on the characterization results, we demonstrated that the hyperbranched polyglycerol could be facilely introduced on these fluorescent Tb³⁺-doped LDHs through the method described in this work. The obtained Tb³⁺-doped LDHs based polymer composites (LDHs-β-CD-HPG) display improved water dispersibility and still maintain their fluorescence. The results based on various biological assays suggest that LDHs-β-CD-HPG polymer composites are of low cytotoxicity and their cell uptake behavior can be effectively traced using confocal laser imaging. All of the above results demonstrated that the fluorescent Tb³⁺-doped LDHs based polymer composites could be effectively surface modified with hydrophilic hyperbranched polymers through a one-pot facile host-guest interaction and the resultant fluorescent composites are of excellent physicochemical properties and display great potential for biomedical applications. This novel surface modification method should also be important for fabrication of other multifunctional composites and therefore great advanced the development of biomedical applications of fluorescent LDHs based polymer composites and related materials.