Cell-Permeable Au@ZnMoS₄ Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Toward a Novel Cellular Copper Detoxifying Drug for Wilson’s Disease

Abstract

A layer-by-layer self-assembly method leads to the formation of Au@ZnMoS₄ core–shell nanoparticles (NPs). The PEGylated Au@ZnMoS₄ NPs are highly water-dispersible, exhibit no cytotoxicity, and can penetrate the cell membrane to selectively remove copper­(I) ions from HepG2 cells in the presence of other endogenous and biologically essential metal ions, including Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Fe²⁺, demonstrating their potential as a novel intracellular copper detoxifying agent