title: Cobalt nanoparticles coated with graphitic shells as localized radio frequency absorbers for cancer therapy.
abstract: Graphitic carbon-coated ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles (C-Co-NPs) with diameters of around 7 nm and cubic crystalline structures were synthesized by catalytic chemical vapor deposition. X-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the cobalt nanoparticles inside the carbon shells were preserved in the metallic state. Fluorescence microscopy images and Raman spectroscopy revealed effective penetrations of the C-Co-NPs through the cellular plasma membrane of the cultured HeLa cells, both inside the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Low radio frequency (RF) radiation of 350 kHz induced localized heat into the metallic nanoparticles, which triggered the killing of the cells, a process that was found to be dependent on the RF application time and nanoparticle concentration. When compared to carbon nanostructures such as single-wall carbon nanotubes, these coated magnetic cobalt nanoparticles demonstrated higher specificity for RF absorption and heating. DNA gel electrophoresis assays of the HeLa cells after the RF treatment showed a strong broadening of the DNA fragmentation spectrum, which further proved the intense localized thermally induced damages such as DNA and nucleus membrane disintegration, under RF exposure in the presence of C-Co-NPs. The data presented in this report indicate a great potential of this new process for in vivo tumor thermal ablation, bacteria killing, and various other biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Nanotechnology Center and Applied Science Department, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Meena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Zhongrui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Enkeleda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dervishi
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trigwell
authors.forename: Vladimir P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Zharov
authors.forename: Nawab
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Viney
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: Alexandru R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Biris
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lupu
authors.forename: Dorin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boldor
authors.forename: Alexandru S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Biris