Pnictogen Semimetal (Sb, Bi)-Based Nanomaterials for Cancer Imaging and Therapy: A Materials Perspective

Abstract

Innovative multifunctional nanomaterials have attracted tremendous interest in current research by facilitating simultaneous cancer imaging and therapy. Among them, antimony (Sb)-and bismuth (Bi)-based nanoparticles are important species with multifunction to boost cancer theranostic efficacy. Despite the rapid development, the extensive previous work treated Sb-and Bi-based nanoparticles as mutually independent species, and therefore a thorough understanding of their relationship in cancer theranostics was lacking. We propose here that the identical chemical nature of Sb and Bi, being semimetals, provides their derived nanoparticles with inherent multifunction for near-infrared laserdriven and/or X-ray-based cancer imaging and therapy as well as some other imparted functions. An overview of recent progress on Sb-and Bi-based nanoparticles for cancer theranostics is provided to highlight the relationship between chemical nature and multifunction. The understanding of Sb-and Bi-based nanoparticles in this way might shed light on the further design of smart multifunctional nanoparticles for cancer theranostics.

Cytotoxicity of Metal‐Based Nanoparticles: From Mechanisms and Methods of Evaluation to Pathological Manifestations

“…Over the recent decades, nanotechnology has been integrated in many areas of research and industry, including nanomedicine (e.g., antibacterial, bioimaging, and photothermal therapy), [1][2][3] industrial chemistry (e.g., catalysis, energy conversion, and sensors), and the production of basic consumer goods (e.g., cosmetics, sunscreens, and textiles). Nanomaterials have become increasingly popular given that they have improved the performance and functionality of several technologies.…”

Plasmonic Bismuth Nanoparticles: Thiolate Pyrolysis Synthesis, Size-Dependent LSPR Property, and Their Oxidation Behavior

“…As a p-block group-V semimetal, bismuth (Bi) exhibits a wealth of unusual electronic structures and properties, such as low energy band overlap, extremely high electron mobility, large magnetoresistance, and ultralow contact resistance when contacted to a 2D monolayer semiconductor (MoS 2 ) . With the size (dimension) reduction, Bi in the form of, for example, nanowires, 2D thin films, or monolayer crystal (i.e., bismuthene), undergoes a semimetal-to-semiconductor transition that holds great promise for (opto)­electronics, optics, catalysis, and energy. − In electrochemistry, nanostructured Bi materials are also being broadly studied as a kind of emerging anode candidates for alkali metal (Li, Na, or K)-ion batteries − or as a type of biocompatible X-ray sensitizers and contrast agents for high-resolution CT imaging and cancer radiotherapy. , Very interestingly, it has been found both in theory and experiment that Bi single-crystals, thin films, or nanoparticles (NPs) can exhibit optical (localized) surface plasmon resonances (SPRs or LSPRs) tunable from the ultraviolet, visible to the infrared spectrum region, − which allows for diverse plasmonic-enhanced applications, including photocatalysis, − photodetection, biological photothermal imaging and therapy, , and SERS, among others …”

“…5−10 In electrochemistry, nanostructured Bi materials are also being broadly studied as a kind of emerging anode candidates for alkali metal (Li, Na, or K)-ion batteries 11−13 or as a type of biocompatible X-ray sensitizers and contrast agents for high-resolution CT imaging and cancer radiotherapy. 14,15 Very interestingly, it has been found both in theory and experiment that Bi single-crystals, thin films, or nanoparticles (NPs) can exhibit optical (localized) surface plasmon resonances (SPRs or LSPRs) tunable from the ultraviolet, visible to the infrared spectrum region, 16−22 which allows for diverse plasmonic-enhanced applications, including photocatalysis, 21−23 photodetection, 24 biological photothermal imaging and therapy, 15,25 and SERS, 26 among others. 27 Similar to noble-metal Au and Ag NPs, bismuth NPs (Bi NPs) are found to exhibit LSPR optical bands and extinction spectra highly sensitive to their grain sizes, shapes, and surrounding dielectric media [especially the solvents of different relative dielectric constants (ε)].…”

Near‐Infrared Light‐Activatable Bismuth‐Based Nanomaterials for Antibacterial and Antitumor Treatment

“…[18] Although bismuth-containing materials focusing on visible light photocatalysis and X-ray sensitive capabilities have been widely reviewed. [19][20][21][22][23][24][25] The NIR activatable bismuth-based nanomaterials for antibacterial or antitumor efforts have not been comprehensively reviewed.…”