Hollow Nanostars with Photothermal Gold Caps and Their Controlled Surface Functionalization for Complementary Therapies

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles exhibiting absorption in the desirable near-infrared region are attractive candidates for photothermal therapy (PTT). Furthermore, the construction of one nanoplatform employing gold nanoparticles for complementary therapy is still a great challenge. Here, well-defined unique hollow silica nanostars with encapsulated gold caps (starlike Au@SiO 2 ) are readily synthesized using a sacrificial template method. Ethanolamine-functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (denoted as BUCT-PGEA) brushes are then grafted controllably from the surface of starlike Au@SiO 2 nanoparticles via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to produce starlike Au@SiO 2 -PGEA. The photothermal effect of gold caps with a cross cavity can be utilized for PTT. The interior hollow feature of starlike Au@SiO 2 nanoparticles endows them with excellent drug loading capability for chemotherapy, while the polycationic BUCT-PGEA brushes on the surface provide good transfection performances for gene therapy, which will overcome the penetration depth limitation of PTT for tumor therapy. Compared with ordinary spherical Au@SiO 2 -PGEA counterparts, the starlike Au@SiO 2 -PGEA hybrids with sharp horns favor endocytosis, which can contribute to enhanced antitumor effectiveness. The rational integration of photothermal gold caps, hollow nanostars, and polycations through the facile strategy might offer a promising avenue for complementary cancer therapy.

Smart Delivery Systems Based on Poly(glycidyl methacrylate)s‐Coated Organic/Inorganic Core–Shell Nanohybrids

“…PGEA-coated hollow silica nanostars with encapsulated gold caps (starlike Au@SiO 2 , Figure 12) were produced by Xu and Zhao et al [61] Integrating PTT function of Au NPs, drugloading capability for chemotherapy and endocytosis feature of starlike hollow silica, and polycationic PGEA brushes' good transfection performances for GT, starlike Au @SiO 2 -PGEA showed complementary therapy with enhanced antitumor Macromol. Rapid Commun.…”

“…Schematic illustration of the preparation of Au@SiO 2 -PGEA nanohybrids and the resultant processes of complementary therapy. Reproduced with permission [61]. Copyright 2017, Wiley-VCH.…”

Safety and photochemotherapeutic application of poly(γ-glutamic acid)-based biopolymeric nanoparticle

“…Numerous studies have reported photothermal therapy and chemotherapy using various materials. However, most such studies used inorganic metals, such as bismuth 32 , gold 33 , silver 34 or copper 35 —approaches that cannot be readily translated into the clinic owing to regulatory concerns regarding safety issues. In the current study, we used AM for surface coating with PDA.…”

Organic/inorganic nanohybrids as multifunctional gene delivery systems

“…As expected, starlike nanohybrids were superior compared to the spherical analogues with respect to cellular uptake, gene transfection and drug delivery. Similarly, starlike nanohybrids with gold nanocaps also demonstrated better performances than the spherical counterparts . Rough nanoparticles are attractive as a result of their affinity with the cellular membrane .…”