2 research outputs found
Aluminum Nanoarrays for Plasmon-Enhanced Light Harvesting
The practical limits of coinage-metal-based plasmonic materials demand sustainable, abundant alternatives with a wide plasmonic range of the solar energy spectrum. Aluminum (Al) is an emerging alternative, but its instability in aqueous environments critically limits its applicability to various light-harvesting systems. Here, we report a design strategy to achieve a robust platform for plasmon-enhanced light harvesting using Al nanostructures. The incorporation of mussel-inspired polydopamine nanolayers in the Al nanoarrays allowed for the reliable use of Al plasmonic resonances in a highly corrosive photocatalytic redox solution and provided nanoscale arrangement of organic photosensitizers on Al surfaces. The Al–photosensitizer core–shell assemblies exhibited plasmon-enhanced light absorption, which resulted in a 300% efficiency increase in photo-to-chemical conversion. Our strategy enables stable and advanced use of aluminum for plasmonic light harvesting
On-Demand Drug Release from Gold Nanoturf for a Thermo- and Chemotherapeutic Esophageal Stent
Stimuli-responsive delivery systems
for cancer therapy have been increasingly used to promote the on-demand
therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs and, in some cases, simultaneously
generate heat in response to a stimulus, resulting in hyperthermia.
However, their application is still limited due to the systemic drawbacks
of intravenous delivery, such as rapid clearance from the bloodstream
and the repeat injections required for sustained safe dosage, which
can cause overdosing. Here, we propose a gold (Au)-coated nanoturf
structure as an implantable therapeutic interface for near-infrared
(NIR)-mediated on-demand hyperthermia chemotherapy. The Au nanoturf
possessed long-lasting doxorubicin (DOX) duration, which helps facilitate
drug release in a sustained and prolonged manner. Moreover, the Au-coated
nanoturf provides reproducible hyperthermia induced by localized surface
plasmon resonances under NIR irradiation. Simultaneously, the NIR-mediated
temperature increase can promote on-demand drug release at desired
time points. For <i>in vivo</i> analysis, the Au nanoturf
structure was applied on an esophageal stent, which needs sustained
anticancer treatment to prevent tumor recurrence on the implanted
surface. This thermo- and chemo-esophageal stent induced significant
cancer cell death with released drug and hyperthermia. These phenomena
were also confirmed by theoretical analysis. The proposed strategy
provides a solution to achieve enhanced thermo-/chemotherapy and has
broad applications in sustained cancer treatments