We have demonstrated that gold nanocage-photosensitizer conjugates can enable dual image-guided delivery of photosensitizer and significantly improve the efficacy of photodynamic therapy in a murine model. The photosensitizer, 3-devinyl-3-(1'-hexyloxyethyl)pyropheophorbide (HPPH), was noncovalently entrapped in the poly(ethylene glycol) monolayer coated on the surface of gold nanocages. The con...

Metal nanocages have raised great interest because of their new properties and wide applications. Here, we report on the use of galvanic replacement reactions to synthesize substrate-supported Ag-Au nanocages from silver templates electrodeposited on transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) film coated glass. The residual Ag in the composition was dealloyed with 10% nitric acid. It was found that cha...

Natural protein assemblies have many sophisticated architectures and functions, creating nanoscale storage containers, motors and pumps. Inspired by these systems, protein monomers have been engineered to self-assemble into supramolecular architectures including symmetrical, metal-templated and cage-like structures. The complexity of protein machines, however, has made it difficult to create as...

We have functionalized the surface of gold nanocages with SV119, a synthetic small molecule specific to sigma-2 receptors, and then demonstrated the capability of this new class of conjugates for targeting cancer cells.

Herein, we report synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene (NGr) interpenetrated 3-D Ninanocage (Ni-NGr) electrocatalyst by simple water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion technique for oxidation of water-to-dioxygen. Correlation of adsorption of NGr and subsequent interpenetration through the specific surface plane of nickel particles as well as concomitant interaction of N, C, with Ni at a nano-regime have be...

In this contribution we report studies of the nature of solvation and resonance energy transfer processes in a reverse micelle (RM) upon encapsulation of a digestive enzyme, alpha-chymotrypsin (CHT). We have used one donor, Coumarin 500 (C500), and three acceptors Rhodamine 123 (R123, cationic), ethidium bromide (EtBr, cationic), and Merocyanine 540 (MC540, anionic). By selectively exciting the...

A new host-guest hybrid system with MnS clusters confined in a chalcogenide-based semiconductor zeolite was for the first time constructed and its photoluminescence (PL) properties were also investigated. The existence of MnS clusters in the nanopores of the semiconductor zeolite was revealed by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence analysis, Raman as well as Fourier transfo...

By incorporating phosphorus(III)-based anions into a polyoxometalate cage, a new type of tungsten-based unconventional Dawson-like cluster, [W18O56(HP(III)O3)2(H2O)2](8-), was isolated, in which the reaction of the two phosphite anions [HPO3](2-) within the {W18O56} cage could be followed spectroscopically. As well as full X-ray crystallographic analysis, we studied the reactivity of the cluste...