Impact of Silica Nanoparticle Design on Cellular Toxicity and Hemolytic Activity

Understanding the toxicity of silica nanoparticles (SiO(2)) on the cellular level is crucial for rational design of these nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Herein, we explore the impacts of geometry, porosity, and surface charge of SiO(2) on cellular toxicity and hemolytic activity. Nonporous Stöber silica nanospheres (115 nm diameter), mesoporous silica nanospheres (120 nm diameter, aspect ratio 1), mesoporous silica nanorods with aspect ratio of 2, 4, and 8 (width by length 80 × 200 nm, 150 × 600 nm, 130 × 1000 nm), and their cationic counterparts were evaluated on macrophages, lung carcinoma cells, and human erythrocytes. It was shown that the toxicity of SiO(2) is cell-type dependent and that…

• US
  Utah Science Technology and Research