Advances of Biotoxicity of Phosphorene Nanomaterial

• DOI number:10.16476/j.pibb.2021.0298
• Affiliation of Author(s):China University of Mining and Technology
• Journal:Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Key Words:phosphorene; biotoxicity; biomacromolecule; nano-material
• Abstract:Phosphorene, a single layer of black phosphorus, has a direct band gap, strong structural and functional anisotropy, high charge carrier mobility and has made great progress in the fields of biomedicine, drug delivery, biosensors, and disease diagnosis and treatment. Compared with other nanomaterials, phosphorene has better biocompatibility and biodegradability, and has a good application prospect in the field of biomedicine. Although there have been a large number of reports on the biological effects of phosphorene, the details of the interaction process between phosphorene and biological macromolecules, such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, still lack systematic research. The dynamic process of the interaction between phosphorene and biomolecules is currently unobservable experimentally. Molecular simulation has unique advantages in capturing precise dynamic structures that cannot be obtained in experiments, and is widely used in the fields of nanomaterials and biology. This article summarizes the latest research progress in the interaction of phosphorene nanomaterials with biological macromolecules such as proteins, lipid membranes and DNA, based on computer simulation and experimental methods in recent years. We reviewed the current research on the biological toxicity of phosphorene and analyzed the problems that need to be solved in the future. It was found that phosphorene nanomaterials with higher concentrations and larger sizes are more cytotoxic, and different types of cells have different toxic reactions to phosphorene nanomaterials. Phosphorene nanosheets have both destructive and inhibitory effects on proteins, depending on with which amino acid residues phosphorene is combined. Research on the interaction between phosphorene nanosheets and DNA macromolecules is still lacking. Current research results show that phosphorene nanosheets do not significantly damage DNA macromolecules. Generally speaking, the biocompatibility of phosphorene is better compared with other nanomaterials, but it also has certain biological toxicity. Phosphorene could produce biological toxicity in the following ways: (1) extracting phospholipid molecules from the cell membrane which destroys the integrity of the lipid membrane and weaken the cell activity; (2) producing reactive oxygen species which makes cells lose their vitality; (3) destroying the structure of biomolecules which makes them lose their biological functions; (4) snatching the ligand and occupying the active site which blocks the signal pathway of the signal protein and results in the loss of its function. Everything has two sides. Phosphorene’s toxicity is harmful to organisms, but it can be used for sterilization and it is also beneficial to kill cancer cells. Phosphorene nanomaterials are unstable, but they are beneficial to their degradation in the organism. Phosphorene nanomaterials with weak biotoxicity and easy degradation will become ideal candidates for nanomedicine. How to effectively reduce the negative effects of phosphorene nanomaterials and maximize their biomedical functions will be an important issue to be faced in the future. This review will promote the basic research on the biological effects of phosphorene, and will also push forward the application of phosphorene nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine.
• Indexed by:Journal paper
• Volume:49
• Issue:8
• Page Number:1431-1444
• Translation or Not:no
• Date of Publication:2022-08-20
• Included Journals:SCI
• Links to published journals:http://www.pibb.ac.cn/pibbcn/article/abstract/20210298