Biocompatible nanoparticles containing hydrophobic nickel-bis(dithiolene) complexes for NIR-mediated doxorubicin release and photothermal therapy

Nickel-bis(dithiolene) containing NPs: controlled release of Dox and photothermal therapy under NIR Irradiation.

Water-soluble nickel-bis(dithiolene) complexes as photothermal agents

The remarkable photothermal properties of pegylated nickel-bis(dithiolene) complexes in water can induce cell death under laser irradiation in the near infrared (NIR) region.

Molecular Alloys of Neutral Gold/Nickel Dithiolene Complexes in Single-Component Semiconductors

Control of band filling or doping of molecular (semi)conductors can be performed by substitutional insertion of molecules with a similar shape but a different electron count, with one more or one less electron. This strategy has been explored here within the semiconducting, single-component, radical gold dithiolene complex [AuOC4] bearing para-butoxyphenyl substituents. Alloying with the corresponding neutral nickel dithiolene complex [NiOC4] lacking one electron afforded a complete isostructural series [NiOC4]1-x[AuOC4]x, spanning the whole composition range from x = 0 to x = 1 by 0.1 increments, further characterized by X-ray diffraction and EDX analyses. Magnetic susceptibility data confirm the antiferromagnetic interactions between neighboring radical gold dithiolene complexes. The electrical conductivity increases exponentially with the x gold fraction, while the activation energy remains constant in the more conducting, gold-rich samples. This behavior is tentatively assigned to the tunneling barriers of variable width (with x) but of constant height, separating more conducting gold-rich segments. Comparison of redox potentials for the 1e(-) oxidation and reduction of both [NiOC4] and [AuOC4] dithiolene complexes indicates that the [NiOC4] nickel complex does not act as a dopant for the radical [AuOC4] complex.

Photothermal control of the gelation properties of nickel bis(dithiolene) metallogelators under near-infrared irradiation

The proper functionalization of nickel bis(dithiolene) complexes by pendant cholesteryl fragments allows for the formation of extended networks of intertwined fibers providing robust gels. Furthermore, such nickel bis(dithiolene) complexes are also efficient photothermal centers in solution in the near infrared (NIR), with a photothermal conversion efficiency comparable to that of gold nanoparticles. This unprecedented association in one single molecule, of the two properties, i.e., gelation ability and photothermal effect, gives a highly efficient handle to modulate the gel stability through light irradiation in the NIR region, providing a novel approach to photoresponsive gels.