Au/Pt-Egg-in-Nest Nanomotor for Glucose-Powered Catalytic Motion and Enhanced Molecular Transport to Living Cells.

Nanostructures converting chemical energy to mechanical work by using benign metabolic fuels, have huge implications in biomedical science. Here, we introduce Au/Pt-based Janus nanostructures, resembling to "egg-in-nest" morphology (Au/Pt-ENs), showing enhanced motion as a result of dual enzyme-relay-like catalytic cascade in physiological biomedia, and in turn showing molecular-laden transport to living cells. We developed dynamic-casting approach using silica yolk-shell nanoreactors: first, to install a large Au-seed fixing the silica-yolk aside while providing the anisotropically confined concave hollow nanospace to grow curved Pt-dendritic networks. Owing to the intimately interfaced Au and Pt catalytic sites integrated in a unique anisotropic nest-like morphology, Au/Pt-ENs exhibited high diffusion rates and displacements as the result of glucose-converted oxygen concentration gradient. High diffusiophoresis in cell culture media increased the nanomotor-membrane interaction events, in turn facilitated the cell internalization. In addition, the porous network of Au/Pt-ENs facilitated the drug-molecule cargo loading and delivery to the living cells.

Differential characterization of hepatic tumors in MR imaging by burst-released Mn2+-ions from hollow manganese-silicate nanoparticles in the liver.

Gd3+-based contrast agents monopolize in the clinical MR imaging-based diagnosis of hepatic tumors, however, the inherent toxicity by the released Gd3+-ions triggered an urgent demand for safer alternatives. Here, we demonstrate hollow manganese silicate nanoparticles (HMS), which exert burst-release of Mn2+-ions by switching to physiological acidic condition, exhibiting high effectiveness in hepatic tumor characterization as liver-specific MR contrast agent through the in-depth in vivo MR imaging study and immunohistochemical investigations with three hepatic tumor models (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, adenocarcinoma). Their characteristic time-sequential enhancement patterns in HMS-enhanced MR imaging with improved conspicuity reflect their biological features such as vascularity, cellularity, mitochondrial activity and hepatocellular specificity, and thus allow the disease-specific characterization of various hepatic tumors. HMS-enhanced MR imaging with necrotic hepatocellular carcinoma model suggested the good correlation of the extent of tumor necrosis with residual mitochondrial activity. Such multi-responsive spatio-biological distribution and function of HMS resulting in time-dependent bioimaging coupled with low systemic toxicity sets the clinical potential to accurate diagnosis and therapeutic response in various hepatic tumors.

Monofacet-Selective Cavitation within Solid-State Silica-Nanoconfinement toward Janus Iron Oxide Nanocube.

Here, a highly selective solid-state nanocrystal conversion strategy is developed toward concave iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanocube with an open-mouthed cavity engraved exclusively on a single face. The strategy is based on a novel heat-induced nanospace-confined domino-type migration of Fe2+ ions from the SiO2-Fe3O4 interface toward the surrounding silica shell and concomitant self-limiting nanoscale phase-transition to the Fe-silicate form. Equipped with the chemically unique cavity, the produced Janus-type concave iron oxide nanocube was further functionalized with controllable density of catalytic Pt-nanocrystals exclusively on concave sites and utilized as a highly diffusive catalytic Janus nanoswimmer for the efficient degradation of pollutant-dyes in water.

Synthesis and glycosidase-inhibitory activity of novel polyhydroxylated quinolizidines derived from D-glycals.

A number of structurally novel polyhydroxylated quinolizidines have been prepared starting from 2-deoxyglycosylamines which in turn were derived from D-glycals by following a methodology developed in our laboratory. In our strategy, Grignard reaction and ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions are the key steps to construct the desired skeletons. All synthesized final molecules were checked for glycosidase inhibition activity, and some were found to be selective for certain glycosidases.

HClO4 x SiO2 catalysed synthesis of alkyl 3-deoxy-hex-2-enopyranosides from 2-hydroxy glucal ester: application in the synthesis of a cis-fused bicyclic ether and a 4-amino-C-glucoside.

A variety of alcohols react with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-D-arabino-hex-1-enopyranose 1 in the presence of a catalytic amount of HClO(4) supported on silica gel to give the corresponding alkyl 3-deoxy-hex-2-enopyranosides 2 in high yield, with short reaction times (10-45 mins) and good alpha-selectivity. Work-up merely involves filtration of the reagent, followed by chromatographic purification of the crude product. This methodology has also been employed in the synthesis of a bicyclic ether, a useful precursor for cyclic polyethers, and a 4-amino-C-glucoside.