Russian scientists have transformed a group of amino acids and sheets of a two-dimensional compound of sulfur and molybdenum into a nanomaterial that generates heat when exposed to infrared radiation.
According to the press office of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this innovative substance can be used to destroy cancer cells and sites of bacterial infection.
Alexander Golovishkin, senior researcher at the Institute of Organic Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences, says: "The structural and physical properties of the substance we obtained make it promising for use in medicine as a biocompatible photothermal agent in anti-tumor and antibacterial therapy. The availability of the raw materials for this substance and its low cost are also important."
According to scientists, targeted therapies for tumors, pathogenic microbial communities, or dysfunctional tissues or organs have seen remarkable development in recent years. These methods rely on various nanoparticles and other structures capable of converting infrared radiation, to which the human body is almost completely transparent, into heat.
Russian chemists have discovered that a multi-layered nanomaterial they developed can convert 38-50% of laser radiation energy into heat, a solution well-suited to addressing these challenges. The innovative material resembles a multi-layered pie or lasagna, composed of molybdenum disulfide, a two-dimensional compound of sulfur and molybdenum, interspersed with chains of the amino acid arginine.
According to the inventors, thanks to its interlayered amino acids, this material is significantly more stable than single molybdenum disulfide layers. Furthermore, it exhibits high biocompatibility and can be repeatedly heated and cooled without noticeable changes in its reaction to laser radiation, making it a particularly promising candidate for photothermal therapy.
