Figure 9.

Encapsulation and controlled release of therapeutic molecules. (A) Schematic illustration showing the encapsulation of PCM and payloads in AuNCs and the subsequent controlled release. The payloads can be DOX, H₂SeO₃, Ca²⁺, or AIPH. (B, C) 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylimidacarbocyanine iodide staining and (D, E) Live/dead staining of A549 cells after incubation with AuNC-PCM-H₂SeO₃ nanoparticles for 5 h. The cells in (C, E) were further irradiated with an 808-nm laser at a power density of 0.8 W cm⁻² for 10 min before the staining. The red and green fluorescence colors in (B, C) indicate the preservation and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively. The nuclei were stained to give a blue color. The red and green fluorescence colors in (D, E) indicate the live and dead cells, respectively, which were stained with calcein-AM and ethidiumhomodimer-1. Reproduced with permission.^[91] Copyright 2018, Elsevier.