To facilitate combined doxorubicin and photothermal treatments, we developed doxorubicin-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-gold half-shell nanoparticles (DOX-loaded PLGA-Au H-S NPs) by depositing Au films on DOX-loaded PLGA NPs. As the PLGA NPs biodegraded, DOX was released, and heat was locally generated upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation due to NIR resonance of DOX-loaded PLGA H-S NPs. Compared with chemotherapy or photothermal treatment alone, the combined treatment demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in higher therapeutic efficacy and shorter treatment times. Since our NPs selectively deliver both heat and drug to tumorigenic regions, they may improve the therapeutic effectiveness with minimal side effects.

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Diagnosis and treatment all in one: Multifunctional magneto‐polymeric nanohybrids (MMPNs) have been synthesized using ultrasensitive MnFe2O4 nanocrystals, chemotherapeutic agents, and encapsulating amphiphilic block copolymers for targeted detection by MRI and treatment of breast cancer. See the TEM image (left) of an MMPN and T2‐weighted MR images (top row) and color map (bottom row) of the relaxivity R2 for NIH3T6.7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells.

Chiral 1,5-diaza-cis-decalins have been examined as ligands in the enantioselective oxidative biaryl coupling of substituted 2-naphthol derivatives. Under the optimal conditions employing 2.5-10 mol % of a 1,5-diaza-cis-decalin copper(II) catalyst with oxygen as the oxidant, enantioselective couplings (44-96% ee) could be achieved for a range of 3-substituted 2-naphthols including the ester, ketone, phosphonyl, and sulfonyl derivatives. The relationship between the substitution of the naphthalene starting materials and reactivity/selectivity is determined by several factors which act in concert: (1) the effect of substituents on the oxidation potential of the substrate, (2) the ability of the substrate to participate in a chelated copper complex which depends on (a) the inherent coordinating ability of the 3-substituent and (b) substituent steric interactions that affect chelation between the 2-hydroxyl and 3-substituent, (3) the effect of substituents on dissociation of the product from the copper catalyst.