Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) , Mianyang, Sichuan 621000, China.
Biomacromolecules. 2017 Dec 11;18(12):4034-4040. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b01095. Epub 2017 Nov 22.
Buckminsterfullerene (C), known for its strong radical scavenging properties, has been studied extensively for its biomedical applications. Its clinical use would be promoted by novel functionalization of C with the aid of drug delivery carriers based on nanoparticle technologies. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have recently been exploited as a promising nanoplatform for drug delivery, owing to their intriguing attributes such as nanoscale dimensions, low toxicity, broad chemical-modifying capacity, and biocompatibility. Herein, cellulose nanocrystals carrying buckminsterfullerene (CNC-C) have been synthesized via amine functionalization of CNCs and subsequent grafting of C onto the surface of amine-terminated CNCs. FTIR and XPS measurements confirmed the success of the synthesis, which was further evidently supported by TGA analysis. Given atomic compositions of samples by elemental analysis, we figured out a C content of 0.17 mmol/g of CNC-C, equivalent to 34 C molecules/1000 anhydroglucose units (AGU). Afterward, CNC-C was evaluated for its antiradical effects on scavenging hydroxyl radicals in vitro. The ease of synthesis and significant radical scavenging activity make CNC-C a promising novel antioxidant agent for biomedical use.
富勒烯（C）以其强大的自由基清除特性而闻名，因其在生物医学应用方面的研究而受到广泛关注。通过基于纳米颗粒技术的药物输送载体对 C 进行新型功能化，可以促进其临床应用。由于具有纳米级尺寸、低毒性、广泛的化学修饰能力和生物相容性等有趣特性，纤维素纳米晶体（CNC）最近已被用作有前途的药物输送纳米平台。在此，通过 CNC 的胺功能化和随后将 C 接枝到胺封端的 CNC 表面上，合成了负载富勒烯的纤维素纳米晶体（CNC-C）。FTIR 和 XPS 测量证实了合成的成功，热重分析进一步明显支持了这一点。通过元素分析确定样品的原子组成，我们计算出 CNC-C 的 C 含量为 0.17mmol/g，相当于每 1000 个脱水葡萄糖单元（AGU）中有 34 个 C 分子。随后，评估了 CNC-C 对体外清除羟基自由基的抗氧化作用。合成的简便性和显著的自由基清除活性使 CNC-C 成为一种有前途的新型生物医学抗氧化剂。
