Abstract
Cerium oxide nanoparticles have the unique power to act as both oxidation and reduction catalysts, thanks to the ability of cerium to rapidly switch between two oxidation states. Can Xu and Xiaogang Qu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences review how this dual catalytic activity yields enzyme-like behavior that can be harnessed for cancer-detecting assays and new biomedical applications. The nanoparticles mimic enzyme species, such as superoxide dismutases and catalases, that repair the damage caused by free radicals and reduce harmful reactive oxygen levels in the body. With tiny dimensions that allow them to enter cellular spaces inaccessible to traditional medicines - including crossing the blood-brain barrier for Alzheimer's disease treatments - these nanomaterials may offer potent remedies against degenerative diseases. Xu and Qu stress the need for systematic biological testing, however, to resolve possible toxicity concerns.
Highlights
Rare earth,[1] which has been called an ‘industrial vitamin’ and a ‘treasury’ of new materials, has an increasingly important role in technical progress and the development of traditional industries, and it is widely applied in high-technology industries such as information and biotechnology.[2]
Useful because of its various properties and applications, the main application of cerium oxide nanoparticle (CeONP) is in the field of catalysis, and stems from their unique structure and atomic properties compared with other materials
The cyclic boronate moieties could be broken in the presence of H2O2 produced by amyloid b-peptides (Ab) aggregate metal ions, resulting in the release of CeONP and the guest molecules, which indicated that the platform could realize targeted drug delivery
Summary
Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeONPs) have received much attention because of their excellent catalytic activities, which are derived from quick and expedient mutation of the oxidation state between Ce4 þ and Ce3 þ. The cerium atom has the ability to and drastically adjust its electronic configuration to best fit its immediate environment. It exhibits oxygen vacancies, or defects, in the lattice structure; these arise through loss of oxygen and/or its electrons, alternating between CeO2 and CeO2 Àx during redox reactions. Being a mature engineered nanoparticle with various industrial applications, CeONP was recently found to have multi-enzyme, including superoxide oxidase, catalase and oxidase, mimetic properties that produce various biological effects, such as being potentially antioxidant towards almost all noxious intracellular reactive oxygen species. This review provides a comprehensive introduction to CeONP’s catalytic mechanisms, multi-enzyme-like activities, and potential applications in biological fields.
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