Issue 2, 2020

Catalytic chemistry of iron-free Fenton nanocatalysts for versatile radical nanotherapeutics

Abstract

The conversion of nontoxic agents into therapeutic species in situ, just within the disease microenvironment, is the ideal strategy because it can substantially enhance the therapeutic efficacy but mitigate the side effect to normal cells/tissues. The emerging nanocatalytic medicine based on the catalytic Fenton reaction can achieve this goal by triggering a disease-specific catalytic reaction to produce therapeutic reaction oxygen species. Traditional iron-based Fenton nanocatalysts are the dominant agents for triggering in situ reactions and radical nanotherapeutics, but they suffer from low reaction rate and narrow pH operation range, significantly hindering their further biomedical applications and clinical translation. Fortunately, the emergence of iron-free nanocatalysts provides alternative but highly efficient nanoplatforms for achieving desirable Fenton reaction-based nanocatalytic radical therapeutics. This comprehensive review discusses the very-recent progress on the elaborate design, rational construction, purpose-oriented multifunctionalization and catalytic property–performance relationship of iron-free Fenton nanocatalysts (e.g., transition metal-based, precious-metal-based, nonmetal-based nanocatalysts and their composites) for versatile radical nanotherapeutics. The focus is particularly on the underlying catalytic chemistry and mechanism for endowing these iron-free nanocatalysts with unique/specific physicochemical properties for anticancer, antibacterial, antibiofilm and synergistic biomedical applications. Finally, we concentrate on the unresolved critical issues, current challenges and future development direction/prospects of these iron-free Fenton nanocatalysts for future clinical translations.

Graphical abstract: Catalytic chemistry of iron-free Fenton nanocatalysts for versatile radical nanotherapeutics

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
02 okt 2019
Accepted
14 nov 2019
First published
15 nov 2019

Mater. Horiz., 2020,7, 317-337

Catalytic chemistry of iron-free Fenton nanocatalysts for versatile radical nanotherapeutics

Q. Chen, D. Yang, L. Yu, X. Jing and Y. Chen, Mater. Horiz., 2020, 7, 317 DOI: 10.1039/C9MH01565E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements