Organic-inorganic Hybrid Nanostructures Research Articles

Optical Setup for Investigating the Hyperpolarizability of Organic Nanostructure Materials in Solutions Using Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic Generation

Abstract: In this paper, an optical setup for electric field-induced second-harmonic generation (EFISH) at 1.9 μm experiment was arranged and used to investigate and determine the hyperpolarizability of some nanostructure organic components in two different solutions. First, a laser beam at 1.9 μm was generated by pumping a hydrogen Raman cell pressurized to 55 bar with 10 Hz Q-switched Nd: YAG nanosecond laser operating at λ = 1.064 μm. Next, the generated laser beam was aligned with all optical components within the assembly. The final step was to optimize the beam’s power and polarization at the center of the EFSH cell. Different nanostructure organic samples in solutions were prepared with nearly the same standard concentration of about 5 mmol/L to be investigated under the optimized system. Two solvents were used in this work, dichloromethane, or DCM (CH2Cl2), and chloroform, or trichloromethane (CHCl3). First, the harmonic order hyperpolarizability of five organic molecules in solutions with different chemical components such as quinolinium groups and organic boron complexes (supplied by the Chemistry Department at Catania University, Italy) were experimentally investigated experimentally. Only component (2-(2-[5′-(N,N-dimethylamino)-(2,2′-bithiophen)-5-yl]vinyl)-1-methyquinolin-1-ium iodide) in chloroform showed a significant difference in Maker fringes amplitude of the applied electrical field in comparison with fringes of its pure solvent. The value ofμfor this component has been calculated as 1320 x 10-48 esu. This value indicates that the component is a suitable candidate for use in second-harmonic generation imaging for biological applications. Keywords: Electric field-induced second-harmonic generation (EFISH), Harmonic light, Organic materials, hyperpolarizability. PACS: Nonlinear optics, 42.65.-k, Electric fields, instrumentation for measurement, 07.50.-e, Organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures, 81.07.Pr, Organic materials optical materials, 42.70.Jk

The hybrid structure of nanoflower-like CoxMnyNizO4 nanoparticles embedded biomass-lignin carbon nanofibers as free-standing and binder-free electrodes for high performance supercapacitors

We introduced the concept of a novel hybrid faradaic structure as a mechanism to improve the performance of biomass-derived carbon-based supercapacitors (SCs). Organic-inorganic hybrid composition, nanostructures, porosity, surface area and active redox reactions were carefully designed. We reported the facile, cost-effective and environmentally friendly fabrication of pure lignin carbon nanofibers (LCNFs) incorporated with flower-like, multi-metal and intrinsically capacitive ([email protected]2) nanoparticles in a flexible and binder-free electrode for SCs by the electrospinning technique using various electrolytes (1 M Na2SO4, 0.5 M KI and 1 M Na2SO4 +0.5 M KI). Mechanically robust LCNFs were used as a free-standing electrode and characterized for electrochemical performance using a two-electrode system in a Swagelok cell. Specific capacitance of the LCNFs in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte (current density 0.1 A/g) of 129 F/g increased to 200 F/g when adding 1 % manganese oxide nanoparticles that introduced intrinsic capacitance into the nanofibers. This value further increased to 303 F/g by adding 1 % Ni-Co to the manganese oxide. The nanoflower morphology significantly increased the surface area via micro and mesopore modification on carbonization and via macropore expansion on activation. After applying a mixed electrolyte (1 M Na2SO4 + 0.5 M KI), the capacitance reached 400 F/g and remained stable up to 1000 GDC cycles. Using the same composite nanofibers, 1,021 F/g was achieved using 0.5 M KI as an electrolyte. However, the latter system appeared unstable beyond 200 GDC cycles, suggesting that it can be applied as a disposable fast-charge supercapacitor. In the presence of a chemically-stable, highly-porous and partially-conductive carbon matrix, we concluded that interplay between the multi-metal oxides and electrolytes increased oxidation numbers, thereby boosting the faradaic reaction and enhancing electronic conductivity.

Three-dimensional electron ptychography of organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructures

Three dimensional scaffolded DNA origami with inorganic nanoparticles has been used to create tailored multidimensional nanostructures. However, the image contrast of DNA is poorer than those of the heavy nanoparticles in conventional transmission electron microscopy at high defocus so that the biological and non-biological components in 3D scaffolds cannot be simultaneously resolved using tomography of samples in a native state. We demonstrate the use of electron ptychography to recover high contrast phase information from all components in a DNA origami scaffold without staining. We further quantitatively evaluate the enhancement of contrast in comparison with conventional transmission electron microscopy. In addition, We show that for ptychography post-reconstruction focusing simplifies the workflow and reduces electron dose and beam damage.

Lipophilic Magnetic Photonic Nanochains for Practical Anticounterfeiting.

Magnetic photonic crystals (PCs) possess attractive magnetic orientation, flexible pattern designability, and abundant angle-dependent colors, providing immense potential in anticounterfeiting field. However, all-solid magnetic PCs-based labels generally suffer from incompatibility with screen printing techniques, and inferior environmental endurance and mechanical properties. Herein, by developing a selective concentration polymerization method under magnetic field (H) in microheterogenous dimethyl sulfoxide-water binary solvents, individual tens-of-micrometer-length lipophilic magnetic photonic nanochains (PNCs) of full-width at half-maxima below 30nm are fabricated, which, after simply dispersed in solvent-free cycloaliphatic epoxy resin, can be formulated as photonic inks to print robust anticounterfeiting labels through an H-assisted screen-printing technology. The as-printed labels possess vivid optically variable effects (OVEs) associated with the spatial distribution of H directionality, which are easy to identify by the naked eye but difficult to imitate and duplicate, while they show excellent environmental resistance and mechanical properties, promising practical applications in banknotes and high-grade commodities. The polymerization mechanism of the lipophilic PNCs is elucidated, and the OVEs are deciphered in numerical simulation. Besides an efficient way to build organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures, the work provides advanced structural color pigments to achieve the practical application of magnetic PCs in such an anticounterfeiting field.

Strong coupling effects in a plexciton system of gold nanostars and J-aggregates

Strong exciton–plasmon interaction enables effective control of the photonic properties of hybrid organic–inorganic nanostructures encompassing light absorption, scattering and luminescence. Whereas the manifestations of light-matter interactions in the absorption and scattering are reasonably well understood their relation to the luminescence as well as luminescence properties themselves in strongly coupled plexcitonic hybrids is still largely underexplored especially for a system with a complex mechanism of hybridisation of states. Here we report on investigation of the interaction between localized and hybridized plasmons in gold nanostars and excitons in J-aggregates under ambient conditions. Our findings demonstrate the quality performance of the formed plexciton system with multiple hybridization channels in terms of the parameters of strong coupling, such as Rabi splitting (230 meV), coupling-strength-to-transition energy ratio (0.07), and cooperativity (2.03). The results of time-resolved experiments elucidate the observed enhanced spontaneous emission rate with regard to the Purcell effect, whose value was estimated from the extinction spectra of the strongly coupled plexciton system.

Zn (II)‐Schiff base covalently anchored to CaO@SiO2: A hybrid nanocatalyst for green synthesis of 4H‐pyrans

AbstractIn this study, the Zn (II)‐Schiff base covalently anchored onto the surface of CaO@SiO2 nanoparticles. The structure of this hybrid nanomaterial (CaO@SiO2‐NH2‐Sal‐Zn) was characterized using the analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray powder diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and inductively coupled plasma atomic mass spectrometry. The catalytic activity of this organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructure was investigated through the green synthesis of 4H‐pyran derivatives via one‐pot three‐component condensation reaction which high yields of desired products obtained under green media. The reusability experiments confirmed the stability and high performance of this hybrid nanomaterial under the reaction conditions. The retrievability of this catalyst was proved by recycling six times in reactions without significant loss in its activity. Green conditions, use of available materials, easy work‐up procedure, and high yield of products, low reaction times, and simple purification are some advantages of this protocol over earlier ones.

Molecular Bottom-Up Approaches for the Synthesis of Inorganic and Hybrid Nanostructures

Chemical routes for the synthesis of nanostructures are fundamental in nanoscience. Among the different strategies for the production of nanostructures, this article reviews the fundamentals of the bottom-up approaches, focusing on wet chemistry synthesis. It offers a general view on the synthesis of different inorganic and hybrid organic–inorganic nanostructures such as ceramics, metal, and semiconductor nanoparticles, mesoporous structures, and metal–organic frameworks. This review article is especially written for a wide audience demanding a text focused on the basic concepts and ideas of the synthesis of inorganic and hybrid nanostructures. It is styled for both early researchers who are starting to work on this topic and also non-specialist readers with a basic background on chemistry. Updated references and texts that provide a deeper discussion and describing the different synthesis strategies in detail are given, as well as a section on the current perspectives and possible future evolution.

II-VI Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanostructures with Greatly Enhanced Optoelectronic Properties, Perfectly Ordered Structures, and Shelf Stability of Over 15 Years.

Organic-inorganic hybrids may offer material properties not available from their inorganic components. However, they are typically less stable and disordered. Long-term stability study of the hybrid materials, over the anticipated lifespan of a real-world electronic device, is practically nonexistent. Disordering, prevalent in most nanostructure assemblies, is a prominent adversary to quantum coherence. A family of perfectly ordered II-VI-based hybrid nanostructures has been shown to possess many unusual properties and potential applications. Here, using a prototype structure β-ZnTe(en)0.5-a hybrid superlattice-and applying an array of optical, structural, surface, thermal, and electrical characterization techniques, in conjunction with density-functional theory calculations, we have performed a comprehensive and correlative study of the crystalline quality, structural degradation, electronic, optical, and transport properties on samples from over 15 years old to the recently synthesized. The findings show that not only do they exhibit an exceptionally high level of crystallinity in both macroscopic and microscopic scale, comparable to high-quality binary semiconductors; and greatly enhanced material properties, compared to those of the inorganic constituents; but also, some of them over 15 years old remain as good in structure and property as freshly made ones. This study reveals (1) what level of structural perfectness is achievable in a complex organic-inorganic hybrid structure or a man-made superlattice, suggesting a nontraditional strategy to make periodically stacked heterostructures with abrupt interfaces; and (2) how the stability of a hybrid material is affected differently by its intrinsic attributes, primarily formation energy, and extrinsic factors, such as surface and defects. By correlating the rarely found long-term stability with the calculated relatively large formation energy of β-ZnTe(en)0.5 and contrasting with the case of hybrid perovskite, this work illustrates that formation energy can serve as an effective screening parameter for the long-term stability potential of hybrid materials. The results of the prototype II-VI hybrid structures will, on one hand, inspire directions for future exploration of the hybrid materials, and, on the other hand, provide metrics for assessing the structural perfectness and long-term stability of the hybrid materials.

Compartmentalized bimetal cluster-poly(aniline) hybrid nanostructures for multiplexed detection of autoantibodies in early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

Multi-compartmentalized, inorganic-organic hybrid nanostructures have been studied in biomedical applications due to their compositional and structural differences in each compartment. The combination of these hybrid nanostructures with metallic nanoparticle clusters would be attractive due to their interparticle plasmonic coupling for photonics-based biosensing. We herein report a new class of compartmentalized bimetal cluster-poly(aniline) hybrid nanostructures (CBCPHNs) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based, multiplexed detection of autoantibodies in early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The bimetallic nanoparticle clusters (BNCs) were prepared in a core-shell form by Raman dye-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for the core and reduction of silver ions onto GNP nanoclusters for the shell. Subsequently, CBCPHNs were formed by one-directional growth of poly(aniline) via surface-templated polymerization of aniline monomers as well as additional Ag deposition onto BNCs in the presence of a surfactant. The CBCPHNs showed significant electromagnetic field enhancement at both GNP aggregates and Au core-Ag shell gaps of the BNCs, whereas the poly(aniline) counter-compartment served as a biomolecular conjugation site. In addition, we developed a sandwich-type immunoassay platform using these hybrid nanostructures as SERS nanoprobes and magnetic beads (MBs) for early diagnosis of RA in multiplexing. Autoantibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor immunoglobulin M (RF IgM) were simultaneously detected, and quantified measuring SERS signals of sandwich-type immunocomplexes. Multiplexing of anti-CCP and RF IgM was achieved in low concentration ranges, and their limits of detection were 0.68 IU/mL and 0.93 IU/mL, respectively. These hybrid nanostructures with collective functionalities represent potential nanomaterials for multiplexed detection of autoantibodies.

Cellulose supported bismuth vanadate nanocomposite for effective removal of organic pollutant

Abstract Agro waste extracted cellulose supported bismuth vanadate (Cel/BiVO4) nanocomposite has been derived with significant photocatalytic activity by the utilization of discarded biomass. Cellulose was isolated from waste fruit rinds of sweet lime, orange, pomegranate and banana by alkali hydrolysis, bleaching and acid treatment. This isolated cellulose is non-toxic, biodegradable and economical in comparison to other supports like graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nano tubes, etc. Firstly, we synthesized BiVO4 nanostructures by hydrothermal route. Then, by varying the amount of extracted cellulose, Cel/BiVO4 nanocomposites were prepared and characterized via XRD, FTIR, FESEM, XPS and BET analysis. The photocatalytic activity of Cel/BiVO4 photocatalysts was checked for the degradation of methyl orange dye under visible light (Tungsten 200 W). The kinetic studies showed that the rate of pristine BiVO4 (0.017) was less as compared to Cel/BiVO4 (0.024) when the amount of cellulose used was 800 mg. The photocatalytic results concluded that cellulose acted as a support which developed an interface with BiVO4 that aided in lessening the electron-hole recombination by improving the photodegradation efficiency of the catalyst. Thus, organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructures served as a paradigm for this advanced photocatalytic processes.

Preparation and characterization of a novel organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructure: application in synthesis of spirocompounds

Immobilization and heterogenization of acidic/basic groups or organic tags on inorganic supports have found many important applications in recent years. In this investigation, a new hybrid organic–inorganic nanostructure was prepared. The structure of novel nanomaterial was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, vibrating sample magnetometer, scanning electron microscopy and the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The spirocompounds, especially spiroperimidines and pyranopyrazoles, are important structures with diverse biological activities and many applications in industries. So, the prepared hybrid nanomaterial was used as an efficient catalyst in the one-pot, green and simple protocol for the synthesis of pyranopyrazole, spiropyranopyrazole and spiroperimidine derivatives. The structure of some compounds is characterized by FT-IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR analyses. In addition, the proposed intermediates were synthesized and identified to prove the presented mechanism of the reaction. This hybrid nanomaterial is a recyclable and highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst and easily separated by an external magnet from the reaction media. The short reaction time, high efficiency, operational safety and use of environmentally benign solvent are some benefits of this procedure.

Development and Performance Evaluation of Eco-Friendly POSS-Containing MQL Oil Coolant for Drilling Processes

Drilling work on Inconel, a well-known super-heat-resistant alloy, requires a significant quantity of cutting oil to prevent heat-induced abrasion and damage to the cutting tool, caused by the strength and toughness of the alloy. This high requirement of cutting oil, however, negatively affects the processing environment; therefore, minimum-quantity lubrication (MQL), an eco-friendly cutting-oil-supply method, is attracting attention. The conventional MQL method, however, has the disadvantage that an oil-mist is produced along with high-pressure air; hence, the mist is scattered in the air, making the application of the oil to the cutting point inefficient and rendering the cooling effect to be less than that in wet processing. In this study, therefore, an eco-friendly compound, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)—a nanostructured organic–inorganic hybrid material that exhibits better adhesion to materials than conventional MQL-specific oil and is resistant to the heat generated during drilling—was developed by adding POSS to the conventional MQL-specific oil, and the effects were verified.

Unusually Conductive Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanostructures Derived from Bio-Inspired Mineralization of Peptide/Pi-Electron Assemblies.

Supramolecular materials derived from pi-conjugated peptidic macromolecules are well-established to self-assemble into 1D nanostructures. In the presence of KOH, which was used to more fully dissolve the peptide macromolecules prior to triggering the self-assembly by way of exposure to HCl vapor, we report here an unexpected mineralization of KCl as templated presumably by the glutamic acid residues that were present along the backbone of the peptide macromolecules. In order to decouple the peptidic side chains from the central pi-electron unit, three-carbon spacers were added between them on both sides. The assembled structures that resulted from the collective formation of β-sheets, π-orbital overlaps, and mineralization resulted in highly interconnected dendritic structures under suitable KOH concentrations. Electrical measurements indicated that when well-interconnected, these dendritic structures maintained conductivities comparable to those of metals at around 1800 S/cm. About 50 mA current was measured for 0.5 V/37.5 μm. Varying the gate voltage in a transistor configuration had no effect on the current levels, indicating a conductive instead of a semiconducting pathway. Control experiments without the peptide, measurements of conductivity over time, and conductivity quenching by ammonia suggested the conductivity of these dendritic networks was derived from proton doping of the central π-electron units in a strong acid environment and was facilitated by closely spaced chromophores, as suggested in the literature, leading to facile π-electron transfer along the interconnected dendritic pathways. Our findings suggest that mineralization templated by appropriate amino acids combined with peptide/π-electron self-assembly can lead to highly conductive dendritic macrostructures as well as control of nanowire growth in specific directions.

Enhanced Hybridization and Nanopatterning via Heated Liquid-Phase Infiltration into Self-Assembled Block Copolymer Thin Films.

Organic-inorganic hybrids featuring tunable material properties can be readily generated by applying vapor- or liquid-phase infiltration (VPI or LPI) of inorganic materials into organic templates, with resulting properties controlled by type and quantity of infiltrated inorganics. While LPI offers more diverse choices of infiltratable elements, it tends to yield smaller infiltration amount than VPI, but the attempt to address the issue has been rarely reported. Here, we demonstrate a facile temperature-enhanced LPI method to control and drastically increase the quantity and kinetics of Pt infiltration into self-assembled polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) block copolymer (BCP) thin films. By applying LPI at mildly elevated temperatures (40-80 °C), we showcase controllable optical functionality of hybrid BCP films along with conductive three-dimensional (3D) inorganic nanostructures. Structural analysis reveals enhanced metal loading into the BCP matrix at higher LPI temperatures, suggesting multiple metal ion infiltration per monomer of P2VP. Combining temperature-enhanced LPI with hierarchical multilayer BCP self-assembly, we generate BCP-metal hybrid optical coatings featuring tunable antireflective properties as well as scalable conductive 3D Pt nanomesh structures. Enhanced material infiltration and control by temperature-enhanced LPI not only enables tunability of organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures and properties but also expands the application of BCPs for generating uniquely functional inorganic nanostructures.

Progress in Remotely Triggered Hybrid Nanostructures for Next-Generation Brain Cancer Theranostics.

Progress in nanomedicine has enabled the development of smart hybrid nanostructures (HNSs) for brain cancer theranostics, a novel platform that can diagnose the brain while concurrently beginning primary treatment, initiating secondary treatments where necessary, and monitoring the therapy response. These HNSs can release guest molecules/cargoes directly to brain tumors in response to external physical stimuli. Such physical stimulation is generally referred to as remote stimuli which can be externally applied examples include alternating magnetic field, visible or near-infrared light, ultrasound radiation, X-ray, and radiofrequency. The release of therapeutic cargoes in response to physical stimuli can be performed along with photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, phototriggered chemotherapeutics, sonodynamic therapy, electrothermal therapy, and magnetothermal therapy. Herein, we review different HNSs currently used as remotely triggered modalities in brain cancer, such as organic-inorganic HNSs, polymer micelles, and liposomes HNSs. We also summarize underlying mechanisms of remote triggering brain cancer therapeutics including single- and two-photon triggering, thermoresponsive HNSs, photoresponsive HNSs, magnetoresponsive HNSs, and electrically and ultrasound-stimulated HNSs. In addition to a brief synopsis of ongoing research progress on "smart" HNSs-based platforms of novel brain cancer therapeutics, the review offers an up-to-date development in this field for neuro-oncologists, material/nanoscientists, and radiologists so that a rapid clinical impact can be achieved through a convergence of multidisciplinary expertise.

Organic–inorganic hybrids of Fe–Co polyphenolic network wrapped Fe3O4 nanocatalysts for significantly enhanced oxygen evolution

The design of organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructures with carefully balanced properties is a promising approach for constructing advanced electrocatalysts using earth abundant elements.

Exciton Energy Transfer in Hybrid Organics—Semiconductor Nanostructure

We consider a hybrid heterostructure containing an inorganic quantum well in close proximity with organic material as overlayer. The resonant optical pumping of Frenkel exciton can lead to an efficient indirect pumping of Wannier excitons. As organic material in such a hybrid structure, we consider crystalline tetracene. In tetracene, the singlet exciton energy is close to twice the one of triplet exciton state and singlet exciton fission into two triplets can be efficient. This process in tetracene is thermally activated and we investigate here how the temperature-dependent exciton energy transfer affects the functional properties of hybrid organic-inorganic nanostructures. We have obtained the exact analytical solution of diffusion equation for organics at different temperatures defining different diffusion lengths of excitons. The effectiveness of energy transfer in hybrid with tetracene was calculated by definite method for two selected temperatures that open possibility to operate in full region of temperatures. Temperature dependence of energy transfer opens a new possibility to turn on and off the indirect pumping due to energy transfer from the organic subsystem to the inorganic subsystem.

Cold-Cured Epoxy-Based Organic⁻Inorganic Hybrid Resins Containing Deep Eutectic Solvents.

The development of improved cold-cured resins, to be used as either adhesives or matrices for FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) composites employed in the construction industry, has become the focus of several academic and industrial research projects. It is expected that the use of nano-structured organic–inorganic hybrid materials could represent a realistic alternative to commercial epoxy-based resins due to their superior properties, especially in terms of higher durability against: moisture, temperatures, harsh environments, and fire. In this context, organic–inorganic epoxy hybrids were synthesized by a modified sol–gel method without the addition of water. The experimental formulations were prepared starting from a mixture of a silane-functionalized epoxy resin, alkoxysilane components and a deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on a blend of choline chloride and urea. The latter was added in two different loads in order to analyze in depth its effect as a promoter for an effective dispersion of silica nano-phases, formed through hydrolysis and condensation reactions, into the cross-linked epoxy network. The produced formulations were cold-cured for different time spans in the presence of two hardeners, both suitable for a curing process at ambient temperature. In this first part of a wider experimental program, several analyses were carried out on the liquid (rheological and calorimetric) and cold-cured (calorimetric, thermogravimetric, dynamic-mechanical, flexural mechanical, and morphological) systems to evaluate and quantify the improvement in properties brought about by the presence of two different phases (organic and inorganic) in the same epoxy-based hybrid system.

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanoflowers as Potent Materials for Biosensing and Biocatalytic Applications

Flower-shaped organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures, termed nanoflowers, have received considerable recent attention as they possess greatly enhanced activity, stability, durability, and even selectivity of entrapped organic biomolecules, which are much better than those from the conventional methods. They can be synthesized simply via co-incubation of organic and inorganic components in aqueous buffer at room temperature and yield hierarchical nanostructures with large surface-to-volume ratios, allowing for low-cost production by easy scale-up, as well as the high loading capacity of biomolecules without severe mass transfer limitations. Since a pioneering study reported on hybrid nanoflowers prepared with protein and copper sulfate, many other organic and inorganic components, which endow nanoflowers with diverse functionalities, have been employed. Thanks to these features, they have been applied in a diverse range of areas, including biosensors and biocatalysis. To highlight the progress of research on organic-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers, this review discusses their synthetic methods and mechanisms, structural and biological characteristics, as well as recent representative applications. Current challenges and future directions toward the design and development of multi-functional nanoflowers for their widespread utilization in biotechnology are also discussed.

Biomineralized hybrid nanoparticles for imaging and therapy of cancers.

In this review, we describe the research trends of hybrid nanocarriers developed based on a biomimetic mineralization process, and their recent applications in imaging and therapy of cancers. Organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures formed by diverse biomimetic mineralization approaches are briefly reviewed, and particularly, the biomedical applications of these hybrid nanocarriers for the diagnosis and therapy of cancers are discussed. Biomineralization is an important process in which living organisms produce biominerals, such as calcium phosphate (CaP), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and silica (SiO2), to strengthen their tissues, as found in the formation of bone and teeth. Introducing the artificial biomimetic mineralization process to nanobiotechnology has inspired researchers to develop smart stimuli-responsive nanoparticles for multiple purposes, such as improved therapeutic activity and activatable imaging of cancers.