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Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition
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Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7072

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Libing Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Interests: biocomposite conjugated polymer; functional molecule design; nutrition intervention; food safety; risk control technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multifunctional nanomaterials refer to materials that are hybridized by two or more substances at the nano-scale, including nano-ceramic materials, nano-magnetic materials, nano-carbon materials and carbon nanotubes, among others. The obtained composite nano-materials not only have the properties of a small size effect, surface effect and quantum size effect of nano-materials, but also combine the rigidity, dimensional stability and thermal stability of inorganic materials with the toughness, easy processability and dielectric properties of polymers, so as to produce new materials. Nano-materials show specific many physicochemical properties due to their preparation and size characteristics, which show great application value in the field of biomedicine, including imaging, biosensor, drug loading, anti-tumor, antibacterial, PDT, PTT and regeneration. With the development of nanotechnology, cheap, mild and simple preparation and assembly methods provide greater feasibility for obtaining reasonable multifunctional nano-materials to be applied in the biomedical field. As a more comprehensive, biosafe and effective nano-platform, multifunctional nano-materials show better application prospects.

Prof. Dr. Libing Liu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • composite nano-materials
  • multifunctional nano-materials
  • imaging
  • biosensor
  • drug loading
  • antitumor
  • antibacterial
  • regeneration
  • PDT
  • PTT

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 4577 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Potential Radiosensitization Effect of Spherical Gold Nanoparticles to Induce Cellular Damage Using Different Radiation Qualities
by Monique Engelbrecht-Roberts, Xanthene Miles, Charlot Vandevoorde and Maryna de Kock
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051038 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 660
Abstract
Global disparities in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment demand a unified international effort to reduce the disease’s burden and improve outcomes. Despite advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy, many tumors remain resistant to these treatments. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown promise as radiosensitizers, enhancing [...] Read more.
Global disparities in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment demand a unified international effort to reduce the disease’s burden and improve outcomes. Despite advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy, many tumors remain resistant to these treatments. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown promise as radiosensitizers, enhancing the effectiveness of low-energy X-rays by emitting Auger electrons that cause localized cellular damage. In this study, spherical AuNPs of 5 nm and 10 nm were characterized and tested on various cell lines, including malignant breast cells (MCF-7), non-malignant cells (CHO-K1 and MCF-10A), and human lymphocytes. Cells were treated with AuNPs and irradiated with attenuated 6 megavoltage (MV) X-rays or p(66)/Be neutron radiation to assess DNA double-strand break (DSB) damage, cell viability, and cell cycle progression. The combination of AuNPs and neutron radiation induced higher levels of γ-H2AX foci and micronucleus formation compared to treatments with AuNPs or X-ray radiation alone. AuNPs alone reduced cellular kinetics and increased the accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase, suggesting a block of cell cycle progression. For cell proliferation, significant effects were only observed at the concentration of 50 μg/mL of AuNPs, while lower concentrations had no inhibitory effect. Further research is needed to quantify internalized AuNPs and correlate their concentration with the observed cellular effects to unravel the biological mechanisms of their radioenhancement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 3348 KiB  
Article
Ex Vivo Biosafety and Efficacy Assessment of Advanced Chlorin e6 Nanoemulsions as a Drug Delivery System for Photodynamic Antitumoral Application
by Stéphanie Rochetti do Amaral, Mariza Aires-Fernandes, Felipe Falcão Haddad, Ana Luísa Rodriguez Gini, Cauê Benito Scarim and Fernando Lucas Primo
Molecules 2025, 30(3), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30030544 - 25 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1140
Abstract
The photosensitizer (PS) in the Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) field represents a key factor, being directly connected to the therapeutic efficacy of the process. Chlorin e6 is a second-generation photosensitizer, approved by the FDA with the most desired clinical properties for PDT applications, presenting [...] Read more.
The photosensitizer (PS) in the Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) field represents a key factor, being directly connected to the therapeutic efficacy of the process. Chlorin e6 is a second-generation photosensitizer, approved by the FDA with the most desired clinical properties for PDT applications, presenting high reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and proven anticancer properties. However, hydrophobicity is a major limitation, leading to poor biodistribution. To overcome this condition, the present work developed an up-to-date nanoemulsion incorporating Ce6 in a new nanosystem (Ce6/NE). A comprehensive study of physicochemical properties, stability, fluorescence characteristics, the in vitro release profile, in vivo and ex vivo biocompatibility, and ex vivo efficacy was established. The nanoemulsions showed the desired particle size and stability over six months, with no spectroscopic or photophysical alterations. Uptake studies demonstrated the internalization of the Ce6/NE in monolayers, with biocompatibility at the lowest concentrations. The HET-CAM assay, however, revealed a higher biocompatibility range, also indicating Ce6/NE’s potential for cancer treatment through antiangiogenic studies. These findings highlight the use of a new promising photosensitizer for PDT modulated with nanotechnology that promotes low toxicity, higher bioavailability, and site-specific delivery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 1315 KiB  
Article
Atom-Driven and Knowledge-Based Hydrolysis Metabolite Assessment for Environmental Organic Chemicals
by Zhe Liu, Yufan Lin, Qi He, Lingjie Dai, Qinyan Tan, Binyan Jin, Philip W. Lee, Xiaoming Zhang and Li Zhang
Molecules 2025, 30(2), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30020234 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 664
Abstract
The metabolism of environmental organic chemicals often relies on the catalytic action of specific enzymes at the nanoscale, which is critical for assessing their environmental impact, safety, and efficacy. Hydrolysis is one of the primary metabolic and degradation reaction pathways. Traditionally, hydrolysis product [...] Read more.
The metabolism of environmental organic chemicals often relies on the catalytic action of specific enzymes at the nanoscale, which is critical for assessing their environmental impact, safety, and efficacy. Hydrolysis is one of the primary metabolic and degradation reaction pathways. Traditionally, hydrolysis product identification has relied on experimental methods that are both time-consuming and costly. In this study, machine-learning-based atomic-driven models were constructed to predict the hydrolysis reactions for environmental organic chemicals, including four main hydrolysis sites: N-Hydrolysis, O-Hydrolysis, C-Hydrolysis, and Global-Hydrolysis. These machine learning models were further integrated with a knowledge-based expert system to create a global hydrolysis model, which utilizes predicted hydrolysis site probabilities to prioritize potential hydrolysis products. For an external test set of 75 chemicals, the global hydrolysis site prediction model achieved an accuracy of 93%. Additionally, among 99 experimental hydrolysis products, our model successfully predicted 90, with a hit rate of 90%. This model offers significant potential for identifying hydrolysis metabolites in environmental organic chemicals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 2351 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Coumarin-Based Photosensitizers for Enhanced Antibacterial Type I/II Photodynamic Therapy
by Min Ma, Lili Luo, Libing Liu, Yuxuan Ding, Yixuan Dong and Bing Fang
Molecules 2024, 29(16), 3793; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29163793 - 10 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1235
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective method for treating microbial infections by leveraging the unique photophysical properties of photosensitizing agents, but issues such as fluorescence quenching and the restricted generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under hypoxic conditions still remain. In this study, [...] Read more.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective method for treating microbial infections by leveraging the unique photophysical properties of photosensitizing agents, but issues such as fluorescence quenching and the restricted generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under hypoxic conditions still remain. In this study, we successfully synthesized and designed a coumarin-based aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen), called ICM, that shows a remarkable capacity for type I ROS and type II ROS generation. The 1O2 yield of ICM is 0.839. The ROS it produces include hydroxyl radicals (HO•) and superoxide anions (O2•−), with highly effective antibacterial properties specifically targeting Staphylococcus aureus (a Gram-positive bacterium). Furthermore, ICM enables broad-spectrum fluorescence imaging and exhibits excellent biocompatibility. Consequently, ICM, as a potent type I photosensitizer for eliminating pathogenic microorganisms, represents a promising tool in addressing the threat posed by these pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition)
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10 pages, 4074 KiB  
Article
A Ratiometric Fluorescence Detection Method for Berberine Using Triplex-Containing DNA-Templated Silver Nanoclusters
by Ming Zhu, Mingyang Sun, Juntong Liu, Changbao Chen, Yonggang Yang and Ye Teng
Molecules 2024, 29(15), 3459; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153459 - 24 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1184
Abstract
Berberine (BBR), as a natural isoquinoline alkaloid, has demonstrated various pharmacological activities, and is widely applied in the treatment of diseases. The quantitative analysis of BBR is important for pharmacological studies and clinical applications. In this work, utilizing the specific interaction between BBR [...] Read more.
Berberine (BBR), as a natural isoquinoline alkaloid, has demonstrated various pharmacological activities, and is widely applied in the treatment of diseases. The quantitative analysis of BBR is important for pharmacological studies and clinical applications. In this work, utilizing the specific interaction between BBR and triplex DNA, a sensitive and selective fluorescent detecting method was established with DNA-templated silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs). After binding with the triplex structure in the template of DNA-AgNCs, BBR quenched the fluorescence of DNA-AgNCs and formed BBR-triplex complex with yellow–green fluorescence. The ratiometric fluorescence signal showed a linear relationship with BBR concentration in a range from 10 nM to 1000 nM, with a detection limit of 10 nM. Our method exhibited excellent sensitivity and selectivity, and was further applied in BBR detection in real samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 3095 KiB  
Article
Supramolecular Switch for the Regulation of Antibacterial Efficacy of Near-Infrared Photosensitizer
by Yu-Na Jiang, Manqi Tan, Chenglong He, Jiaxi Wang, Yi Wei, Ningning Jing, Bing Wang, Fang Yang, Yujie Zhang and Meng Li
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051040 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1679
Abstract
The global antibiotic resistance crisis has drawn attention to the development of treatment methods less prone to inducing drug resistance, such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). However, there is an increasing demand for new photosensitizers capable of efficiently absorbing in the near-infrared (NIR) [...] Read more.
The global antibiotic resistance crisis has drawn attention to the development of treatment methods less prone to inducing drug resistance, such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT). However, there is an increasing demand for new photosensitizers capable of efficiently absorbing in the near-infrared (NIR) region, enabling antibacterial treatment in deeper sites. Additionally, advanced strategies need to be developed to avert drug resistance stemming from prolonged exposure. Herein, we have designed a conjugated oligoelectrolyte, namely TTQAd, with a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) backbone, enabling the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under NIR light irradiation, and cationic adamantaneammonium groups on the side chains, enabling the host-guest interaction with curcubit[7]uril (CB7). Due to the amphiphilic nature of TTQAd, it could spontaneously form nanoassemblies in aqueous solution. Upon CB7 treatment, the positive charge of the cationic adamantaneammonium group was largely shielded by CB7, leading to a further aggregation of the nanoassemblies and a reduced antibacterial efficacy of TTQAd. Subsequent treatment with competitor guests enables the release of TTQAd and restores its antibacterial effect. The reversible supramolecular switch for regulating the antibacterial effect offers the potential for the controlled release of active photosensitizers, thereby showing promise in preventing the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Nanomaterials for Bioapplications, 2nd Edition)
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