Ultra-small nanoparticles with sizes comparable to those of pores in the cellular membrane possess significant potential for application in the field of biomedicine. Silicon carbide ultra-small nanoparticles with varying surface termination were tested for the biological system represented by different human cells (using a human osteoblastic cell line as the reference system and a monocyte/macrophage cell line as immune cells). The three tested nanoparticle surface terminations resulted in the observation of different effects on cell metabolic activity. These effects were mostly noticeable in cases of monocytic cells, where each type of particle caused a completely different response ('as-prepared' particles, i.e., were highly cytotoxic, -OH terminated particles slightly increased the metabolic activity, while -NH2 terminated particles caused an almost doubled metabolic activity) after 24 h of incubation. Subsequently, the release of cytokines from such treated monocytes and their differentiation into activated cells was determined. The results revealed the potential modulation of immune cell behavior following stimulation with particular ultra-small nanoparticles, thus opening up new fields for novel silicon carbide nanoparticle biomedical applications.

• Klíčová slova
• cytotoxicity, immune cells, nanoparticles, osteoblasts, silicon carbide,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

There is an urgent quest for room-temperature qubits in nanometer-sized, ultrasmall nanocrystals for quantum biosensing, hyperpolarization of biomolecules, and quantum information processing. Thus far, the preparation of such qubits at the nanoscale has remained futile. Here, we present a synthesis method that avoids any interaction of the solid with high-energy particles and uses self-propagated high-temperature synthesis with a subsequent electrochemical method, the no-photon exciton generation chemistry to produce room-temperature qubits in ultrasmall nanocrystals of sizes down to 3 nm with high yield. We first create the host silicon carbide (SiC) crystallites by high-temperature synthesis and then apply wet chemical etching, which results in ultrasmall SiC nanocrystals and facilitates the creation of thermally stable defect qubits in the material. We demonstrate room-temperature optically detected magnetic resonance signal of divacancy qubits with 3.5% contrast from these nanoparticles with emission wavelengths falling in the second biological window (1000-1380 nm). These results constitute the formation of nonperturbative bioagents for quantum sensing and efficient hyperpolarization.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH