Composite Nanoarchitectonics of Photoactivated Titania-Based Materials with Anticancer Properties

Nefeli Papadopoulou-Fermeli; Nefeli Lagopati; Natassa Pippa; Elias Sakellis; Nikos Boukos; Vassilis G. Gorgoulis; Maria Gazouli; Evangelia A. Pavlatou

doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15010135

Pharmaceutics (Dec 2022)

Composite Nanoarchitectonics of Photoactivated Titania-Based Materials with Anticancer Properties

Nefeli Papadopoulou-Fermeli,
Nefeli Lagopati,
Natassa Pippa,
Elias Sakellis,
Nikos Boukos,
Vassilis G. Gorgoulis,
Maria Gazouli,
Evangelia A. Pavlatou

Affiliations

Nefeli Papadopoulou-Fermeli: Laboratory of General Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15789 Zografou, Greece
Nefeli Lagopati: Laboratory of General Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15789 Zografou, Greece
Natassa Pippa: Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
Elias Sakellis: Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Greece
Nikos Boukos: Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15310 Agia Paraskevi, Greece
Vassilis G. Gorgoulis: Laboratory of Histology-Embryology, Molecular Carcinogenesis Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Maria Gazouli: Laboratory of Biology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Evangelia A. Pavlatou: Laboratory of General Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 15789 Zografou, Greece

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15010135
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 1
p. 135

Abstract

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The synthesis of titania-based composite materials with anticancer potential under visible-light irradiation is the aim of this study. In specific, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) chemically modified with silver were embedded in a stimuli-responsive microgel (a crosslinked interpenetrating network (IP) network that was synthesized by poly (N-Isopropylacrylamide) and linear chains of polyacrylic acid sodium salt, forming composite particles. The ultimate goal of this research, and for our future plans, is to develop a drug-delivery system that uses optical fibers that could efficiently photoactivate NPs, targeting cancer cells. The produced Ag-TiO2 NPs, the microgel and the composite materials were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), micro-Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our results indicated that Ag-TiO2 NPs were successfully embedded within the thermoresponsive microgel. Either Ag-TiO2 NPs or the composite materials exhibited high photocatalytic degradation efficiency on the pollutant rhodamine B and significant anticancer potential under visible-light irradiation.

Published in Pharmaceutics

ISSN: 1999-4923 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Pharmacy and materia medica
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/pharmaceutics/

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