Facile Synthesis of Fluorescent Polymer Encapsulated Metal (PoeM) Nanoparticles for Imaging and Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

Poly­(ethylene glycol) (PEG), known for its biocompatibility and biodegradability, has been in use for surface coating of nanoparticles. PEG coating prevents opsonization, thereby enhancing the systemic circulation time of nanoparticles. It is nonfluorescent in nature requiring additional conjugation with fluorescent dye molecules for tracking the nanoparticles. In the current work, PEG was converted into fluorescent PEG (FL PEG) through a facile one-pot synthesis approach. This eliminates the need for additional fluorescent tag for tracking the nanoparticles. FL PEG showed excellent biocompatibility with normal cell lines (L929). There was a delayed uptake of FL PEG by zebrafish embryos which indicated the systemic circulation enhancement property of PEG. Fluorescent polymer encapsulated metal nanoparticles (PoeM NPs) were prepared by using FL PEG as a coating agent. The antibacterial and photothermal therapy by PoeM NPs were demonstrated. PoeM (Ag) NPs showed a significant antibacterial effect equivalent to that of gentamicin (broad spectrum antibiotic). PoeM (Au) nanoshells (NS) were prepared by galvanic replacement of PoeM (Ag) NPs. They were further used for photothermal therapy of cancer cells. They showed 67 ± 0.5% of cancer cell death when subjected to NIR laser irradiation. Thus, FL PEG based PoeM NPs could lead to the development of multifunctional nanosystems to be deployed for both imaging and therapeutic applications.

Dual‐Function Fluorescent Covalent Organic Frameworks: HCl Sensing and Photocatalytic H2 Evolution from Water

“…[8,9] Most inorganic photocatalysts are limited by their wide bandgaps (thereby absorbing photons within relatively short spans of wavelengths, leaving most of the solar spectrum inaccessible), [10] while organic semiconductors have rarely been investigated, even though they have many attractive properties (e.g., the capacity to absorb multiple photons, suitable ability to transport charge carriers, and, more particularly, diverse synthetic modularity for tailoring of these properties). [11] Graphene oxide, poly(p-phenylene), conjugated copolymers, [12][13][14] polymer Dots, [15,16] hydrophilic polymers, [17,18] metal-organic frameworks, and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 , abbreviated as CN) have been investigated most widely as photocatalysts for the drive toward green and sustainable energy production. CN is a particularly promising metal-free photocatalyst for H 2 evolution because it is nontoxic, inexpensive, and highly chemically and thermally stable.…”

“…a) Solid state13 C CP/MAS NMR spectra, b) N 2 sorption isotherms performed at 77 K, and c) pore size distributions of PyTA-4NH 2 (black), PyTPA-BC (blue), and the PyTA-BC-Ph COF (red). d,e) TEM and f,g) SEM images of the d,f) PyTPA-BC and e,g) PyTA-BC-Ph COFs.…”

Biodegradable/disintegrable nanohybrids for photothermal theranostics

“…These nanoformulations were stable upto 6 months without any observable aggregations. The hydrodynamic diameters and absorbance intensity of these nanoparticles, monitored at different time intervals depicted their improved stability (Thomas et al 2020).…”

“…1c). FL PEG-based PoeM NPs could be useful for both imaging and therapeutic applications (Thomas et al 2020). The stability and storage conditions were also evaluated for both PoeM (Ag) NPs and PoeM (Au) NS.…”

Electrospray-based synthesis of fluorescent poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles for the efficient delivery of an anticancer drug and self-monitoring its effect in drug-resistant breast cancer cells

“…Loading of both the agents in molecular form within the single polymeric nanocarrier is challenging, as it may influence the photo-stability of the imaging molecules and have significant impacts on the pharmacokinetics behaviour of the drug delivery systems. 8 Since the drug molecules have to release from the carrier, therefore, it is necessary to integrate the imaging molecule as an intrinsic part of the polymer so that the properties and purpose of both agents prevail. This type of modification is more familiar in metallic nanoparticles especially transition metal nanoparticles due to their inherent chemical properties.…”