Ultrapure laser-synthesized Si-based nanomaterials for biomedical applications: in vivo assessment of safety and biodistribution

Abstract

Si/SiOx nanoparticles (NPs) produced by laser ablation in deionized water or aqueous biocompatible solutions present a novel extremely promising object for biomedical applications, but the interaction of these NPs with biological systems has not yet been systematically examined. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of biodistribution, biodegradability and toxicity of laser-synthesized Si-SiOx nanoparticles using a small animal model. Despite a relatively high dose of Si-NPs (20 mg/kg) administered intravenously in mice, all controlled parameters (serum, enzymatic, histological etc.) were found to be within safe limits 3 h, 24 h, 48 h and 7 days after the administration. We also determined that the nanoparticles are rapidly sequestered by the liver and spleen, then further biodegraded and directly eliminated in urine without any toxicity effects. Finally, we found that intracellular accumulation of Si-NPs does not induce any oxidative stress damage. Our results evidence a huge potential in using these safe and biodegradable NPs in biomedical applications, in particular as vectors, contrast agents and sensitizers in cancer therapy and diagnostics (theranostics).

Bare laser‐synthesized Au‐based nanoparticles as nondisturbing surface‐enhanced Raman scattering probes for bacteria identification

“…As an example, some previous studies used designed SERS probes based on silica (SiO 2 )‐coated plasmonic structures, including gold nanorods and nanostars , to improve the biocompatibility and efficiency of SERS probes. The inclusion of nonoxidized crystalline silicon (Si) fraction into composition of SERS probes is expected to further improve the biocompatibility of these probes, as Si is one of the essential materials in biological systems, which does not provoke any toxic effects even under massive injection in vitro or in vivo . In addition, in contrast to silica, silicon can provide a distinct Raman scattering peak around 520/cm, which was clearly visible in our tests (Figure (B)).…”

“…Crystalline silicon (Si) is a prominent example of such material, which is one of the essential elements in live organism and is present in many biological tissues in the form of orthosilicate (SiO 4 4− ) . We recently showed that contamination‐free laser‐synthesized Si NPs are not only well compatible with biological systems in vitro and in vivo , but are also biodegradable as they decay in aqueous environment into orthosilicic acid Si(OH) 4 and excrete from biological systems without any harmful effects . We envision that the coating of plasmon‐supporting SERS probes by Si shell could improve the compatibility of these probes with biological systems and bring novel functionalities.…”

Laser-Ablative Synthesis of Isotope-Enriched Samarium Oxide Nanoparticles for Nuclear Nanomedicine

“…Making possible fast production of bare (uncovered) NPs in colloidal state with almost any composition, pulsed laser ablation in liquids [12][13][14][15][16][17] (PLAL) provides one of best alternatives to satisfy the above-stated demands. As an example, we recently showed that the technique of femtosecond laser ablation in liquids can be used for the fabrication of a variety of ultrapure, biologically-friendly nanomaterials, including gold NPs [16,[18][19][20][21][22], titanium nitride (TiN) NPs [23], silicon NPs [24][25][26][27] and organic polymer NPs [28]. In many cases, such nanoparticles can provide superior properties for catalytic [20], energy and biomedical [29,30] applications, compared to nanomaterials synthesized by conventional chemical methods, and other methods.…”

Cavitation‐Free Continuous‐Wave Laser Ablation from a Solid Target to Synthesize Low‐Size‐Dispersed Gold Nanoparticles

“…This method renders possible an atural production of nanoclustersduring the interaction of intense laser radiation with at arget, [1][2][3][4][5] which can then form either an anostructured film (when ablated in gasses) [5][6][7][8][9][10] or colloidal nanoparticle solutions (when ablated in liquids). [16][17][18][19][20] Furthermore, bare (ligand-free) surfaceo fl aser-synthesized nanomaterials can have unique properties (e.g.,p articulars urface chemistry [24] and reactivity [25] ), which makes them extremely promising for various applications, including cancer theranostics, [26,27] neurology, [28] and biofuel cells. [16][17][18][19][20] Furthermore, bare (ligand-free) surfaceo fl aser-synthesized nanomaterials can have unique properties (e.g.,p articulars urface chemistry [24] and reactivity [25] ), which makes them extremely promising for various applications, including cancer theranostics, [26,27] neurology, [28] and biofuel cells.…”