Versatile Gold-Coupled Te-Carbon Dots for Quantitative Monitoring and Efficient Scavenging of Superoxide Anions

Abstract

The superoxide anion (O2 •–) is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that functions as an important regulator of signal transduction in living systems. However, excess O2 •– can cause metabolic imbalances and oxidative damage inside cells. Quantitative detection and efficient scavenging of O2 •– are therefore critical for maintaining intracellular redox balance and homeostasis. In this work, a nanomaterial (Au-TeCD) composed of BSA-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) complexed with tellurium-containing carbon dots (TeCDs) was constructed. The introduction of Au-TeCDs to solutions containing superoxide resulted in enhanced elimination of the anion, indicating that Au-TeCDs are able to scavenge O2 •– from the surrounding environment. Notably, the respective TeCD and AuNP components of the Au-TeCDs were found to emit fluorescence at 425 and 640 nm upon exposure to superoxide anions. This unique spectroscopic property of Au-TeCDs allowed levels of O2 •– in solution to be quantified using dual-fluorescence detection. The Au-TeCDs developed herein also exhibited low-cytotoxicity, versatile capabilities for in situ fluorescence imaging, and effective scavenging of O2 •– in living cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Au-TeCDs act as effective tools for monitoring superoxide concentrations in complex mixtures and may be developed as possible therapeutics designed to scavenge excess ROS from diseased cells.

Emerging and Versatile Platforms of Metal‐Ion‐Doped Carbon Dots for Biosensing, Bioimaging, and Disease Therapy

“…Xu et al. reported a hydrothermal method for creating Te‐doped CDs (Te‐CDs) using 2,7‐bis(phenyltellurol)‐9H‐fluoren‐9‐one as the precursor [67] . The synthesized Te‐CDs were combined with BSA‐modified gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) to construct AuNCs‐TeCDs hybrid nanoprobe.…”

“…[65] (Copyright 2018, American Scientific Publishers), Ref. [67] (Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society), Ref. [72] (Copyright 2019, American Chemical Society) and Ref.…”

“…Xu et al reported a hydrothermal method for creating Te-doped CDs (Te-CDs) using 2,7-bis(phenyltellurol)-9H-fluoren-9-one as the precursor. [67] The synthesized Te-CDs were combined with BSA-modified gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) to construct AuNCs-TeCDs hybrid nanoprobe. The nanoprobe was designed for quantitative monitoring of O 2 *À , as the detection principle shown in Figure 2b.…”

Recent Progress of Surface Modified Nanomaterials for Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species in Organism

“…Besides, other antioxidants such as reduced glutathione, protein and catechol can enhance the anti-ROS properties of the gold nanoparticles by surface modification. These gold nanomaterials can be extensively applied in the cells and tissues as well as disease models due to the excellent optical properties, low toxicity, and targetability. − …”

Uncovering the Interaction between Intracellular Telomerase Activity and Hydrogen Peroxide during Cancer Cell Apoptosis Utilizing a Dual-Color Fluorescent Nanoprobe

“…Until now, various techniques have been successfully employed in the determination of ROS and telomerase activity, such as fluorescence, chemiluminescence, electrochemical methods, surface plasmon resonance, and so on. − Among them, fluorescence methods are attractive for ROS and telomerase activity analysis because of their remarkable virtues of simplicity, fast response, and high sensitivity. More importantly, fluorescent imaging technology associated with specific fluorescent probes has outstanding advantages of the high spatiotemporal resolution, visualization, and nondestructive nature, providing a robust tool for real-time and accurately detecting active molecules and further uncovering their interrelationships in living cells.…”