To achieve effective long-term disinfection of the root canals, we synthesized core-shell silver nanoparticles (AgNPs@SiO) and used them to develop two irrigation solutions containing sodium phytate (SP) and ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl ether)N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), respectively. Ex vivo studies with instrumented root canals revealed that the developed irrigation solutions can effectively remove the smear layer from the dentinal surfaces. Further in vitro experiments with single- and multispecies biofilms demonstrated for the first time that AgNPs@SiO-based irrigation solutions possess excellent antimicrobial activities for at least 7 days, whereas the bare AgNPs lose the activity almost immediately and do not show any antibacterial activity after 2 days. The long-term antimicrobial activity exhibited by AgNPs@SiO solutions can be attributed to the sustainable availability of soluble silver, even after 7 days. Both solutions showed lower cytotoxicity toward human gingival fibroblasts compared to the conventionally used solution (3% NaOCl and 17% EDTA). Irrigation solutions containing AgNP@SiO may therefore be highly promising for applications needing a long-term antimicrobial effect.
A novel and convenient synthetic strategy for the preparation of magnetically responsive silica nanospheres decorated with mixed ligand protected gold nanoparticles is described. Gold nanoparticles are attached to the silica surface via stable amide bond formation. The hierarchical nanospheres show promising results as reusable and efficient catalysts for esterification reactions and they can be recovered through a simple magnetic separation.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT), especially with the recent advances in photosensitizer (PS) design, has already been established as a noninvasive technique for cancer treatment. Recently, near-IR-based absorbing PSs that have a rising potency to implement light-triggered tumor ablation have attracted much attention since near-IR light in the 650-850 nm range penetrates more deeply in tissues. Up to now, numerous nanomaterials tailored to suitable sizes have been studied for effective delivery of PSs. In this study, four different types of Bodipy-based PSs were covalently attached to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) active, biocompatible, and nontoxic nanocarriers and generation of singlet oxygen capabilities were evaluated. It was demonstrated that these core-shell nanoparticles are promising delivery vehicles of PSs for use in diagnosis and therapy.
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