Erials is detailed in Figure 1. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that, in comparison to the micron-scale dimensions of BN-Agg that needs scanning electron microscopy (SEM) viewing (Figure S1), Pluronic-dispersed BN exhibited sheet-like structures that display an average square root surface area of 86 59 nm and average thickness of ten.four 9.3 nm (Figure 1A). Whilst the SEM analysis of MoS2-Agg also showed massive or aggregated structures, MoS2-PF showed nanosheets with an typical square root surface area of 56 28 nm and an average thickness of three.5 1.9 nm (Figure 1B). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to confirm the chemistry in the BN and MoS2 samples. Figure 1C shows 1s core-level spectra for the boron (B) atom in BN-Agg and BN-PF, where the principle peak at 190.four eV represents B-N bonding, together with the smaller sized peak at 191.7 eV representative of B-O bonds.[46] This shows similar levels of oxidation for BN-Agg (ten.six two.2 ) and BN-PF (11.four two.five ) (Table 1). With regards to the 1s nitrogen (N) atom spectrum, the two peaks at 398.0 and 399.1 eV represent N-B and N-H bonds, respectively.[46] Figure 1D shows the Mo atom 3d and S-2p spectra for the MoS2-Agg and MoS2-PF samples. In addition, the peak at 226.four eV represents the S-2s orbital, whilst peaks at 229.three eV and 232.4 eV reflect the doublet of Mo (IV) 3d5/2 and 3d3/2 orbitals, respectively.[47] The fitted curves from the doublet peak at 233.four eV and 236.0 eV corresponds for the Mo (VI) 3d5/2 and 3d3/2, respectively.[48] Furthermore, the S2- peaks at S-2p1/2 (162.0 eV) and S 2p3/2 (163.three eV) represent MoS2 surface oxidation.[49] The enhanced percentage of Mo (VI) in the 3d orbital of MoS2-PF (10.two 1.4 ) vs. the 3d orbital of MoS2-Agg (three.three 0.8 ) reflects the elevated oxidative status in the former material surface (Table two). The surface oxidation state of BN and MoS2 will establish the redox prospective with the nanosheet surfaces. To assess the potential from the BN and MoS2 nanosheets to create EZH2 Inhibitor Species reactive oxygen species (ROS), we made use of the readout from a fluorogenic dye, H2DCFDA, to execute an abiotic assay.[50] The assay included the use of ZnO nanoparticles, which induced theSmall. Author manuscript; offered in PMC 2022 June 01.Li et al.Pagemost robust increase in DCF fluorescence intensity in addition to MoS2-PF (Figure 1E). These responses had been stronger than the effect of MoS2-Agg, which in turn, exceeded the responses to BN-Agg or BN-PF. Along with assessing ROS generation, we also applied a luminescence-based GSH-Glo assay to assess the abiotic conversion of glutathione (GSH) to GSSG (Figure 1F). This provided a far more quantitative comparison from the redox-active status in the 2D components, displaying that although the BN nanosheets exert no effect, that MoS2-Agg and MoS2-PF could decrease GSH levels by 7.1 and 23.5 , respectively. The distinction amongst MoS2-PF and MoS2-Agg was statistically substantial (p 0.05). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used to assess the hydrodynamic size, CYP11 Inhibitor list polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential from the 2D materials in DI water and cell culture media. [33,49,51] The tendency in the hydrodynamic diameter with the components to be smaller sized in water than in tissue cell culture media is explained by the adsorption of fetal calf serum proteins to BN and MoS2 surfaces.[51] The typical hydrodynamic sizes of aggregated MoS2 or BN have been significantly larger than the dispersed samples in various media, particularly for BN (Table three). While PDI values 0.four are indicative of adequate.
