The hybrid platinum@iron oxide core-shell nanorods with high biocompatibility were synthesized and applied for combined therapy. These hybrid nanorods exhibit a good photothermal effect on cancer cells upon irradiation with a NIR laser. Furthermore, due to the presence of a high atomic number element (platinum core), the hybrid nanorods show a synergistic effect between photothermal and radiation therapy. Therefore, the as-prepared core-shell nanorods could play an important role in facilitating synergistic therapy between photothermal and radiation therapy to achieve better therapeutic efficacy.

The unique configuration of unpaired 4f and 5f electrons and the rich structures of their energy levels enable rare-earth metals to possess many particular physical and chemical properties, such as high electrical conductivity, large magnetic moment, and very high complexation reactivity. [1,2] Based on these properties, the rare-earth metals and compounds have been applied extensively in permanent magnets, [3] autocatalysts, [4] superconductors, [5] etc. Demand for high-purity rareearth oxides and rare-earth metals is expected to increase particularly for use in corrosion resistance, [6] heat storage and dispersal, [7] and also in environmentally friendly applications such as in pigments for paint and plastics, [8] in cement manufacture to reduce the temperature of calcination and help save energy, [9] and in refrigeration components arising from the search for chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacements.[10] For the nanoscale rare-earth metals, because of the significantly increased total surface area or the grain boundary area, some new features show in the crystal structures, interface, thermodynamics, and phase transitions. [11][12][13] Consequently, remarkably improved optical, electronic, magnetic, and catalysis properties can be expected. [14][15][16] However, because of the extremely high chemical reactivity and hence the considerably rigorous equipment requirements to preserve a high purity of the product, the preparation and characterization of nanostructured pure rare-earth metals are still big challenges in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Thus, many important features of nanoscale rare-earth metals, such as the physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical characteristics have rarely been reported so far. The research corresponding to these characteristics is of great importance, however, both for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology and for extending the applications of the rareearth metals. In this consideration, we demonstrate in the present work how to prepare nanostructured bulk materials of some typical members of the rare-earth metals, laying the foundation for characterizing the physical and chemical properties of nanoscale rare-earth metals.During the past two decades, a number of techniques have been developed to synthesize nanocrystalline bulk materials, such as inert gas condensation and consolidation, [17] electrodeposition, [18] severe plastic deformation, [19] crystallization of amorphous solids, [20] surface mechanical attrition, [21] and powder metallurgy. [22][23][24] However, it is hard to produce nanocrystalline materials with controllable grain sizes in a wide range below 100 nm. Furthermore, in powder metallurgy for the consolidation of nanoparticles, the grain size in the synthesized bulk is generally larger than the initial particle size. [22][23][24] Particularly, in conventional powder metallurgy processes, a rapid coarsening of nanoparticles occurs very often, leading to the formation of grains in the submicrometer or even micrometer range. Using a new "oxygen-free" (o...

In this study, we report novel multifunctional nanoagents for in vivo enzyme-responsive anticancer drug delivery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), based on mesoporous silica coated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@MSNs). The anticancer drug, DOX, was encapsulated in the porous cavities with a MMP-2 enzyme responsive peptide being covalently linked to the nanoparticles surface. The in vitro experiment results indicated that the enzyme responsive nanoagents own high specificity for controlled drug release in the cell line with high MMP-2 expression. Furthermore, the targeted delivery of the nanoagents to the tumor site purpose has been successfully achieved through magnet-guided nanocarrier accumulation by utilizing the magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 nanocores, which resulted in efficient inhibition of the tumor growth. Additionally, these novel nanoagents can also be used as MRI agent for the real-time diagnosis the tumor treatment process of living animals. Taking the advantages of high specificity, controllable drug release and real-time MRI imaging, we believe these multifunctional nanoagents could also be used as a general platform for the design of stimulus-responsive multifunctional nanomaterials for the aim of accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment of other diseases.

Nanocomposites for integrating imaging and therapy have attracted tremendous attention for biomedical applications. Herein, Fe@Bi2S3 nanocomposites modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules are fabricated for synergistic thermoradiotherapy. For such nanocomposites, Bi2S3 exhibits a strong absorbance in the near-infrared (NIR) region, which allows Bi2S3 to convert energy from light into heat for effective photothermal therapy (PTT), whereas Bi can also significantly enhance radio-mediated cell death induction as a radiotherapy sensitizer due to its high atomic number (high-Z). Most importantly, it is found that the combination of PTT and radiation therapy (RT), using PEGylated Fe@Bi2S3 nanocomposites, can bring a strong synergistic effect for the tumor treatment in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Besides, the magnetic Fe core and the Bi2S3 shell components endow this nanocomposite with an ability to serve as both a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) contrast agent. Therefore, our work presents a new type of multifunctional nanocomposite with the potential for synergistic thermoradiotherapy and simultaneously MRI/CT imaging.