Russian scientists have made a significant step in the field of nanomedicine by developing a new approach to producing spherical nanoparticles from tungsten diselenide — a two-dimensional material with unique optical and electronic properties. The technology will accelerate the creation of biomedical and optical technologies based on this nanomaterial. This was announced in the press service of MIPT.
Dmitry Dyubo, a postgraduate student at the institute, explained that the synthesis of nanoparticles does not require special conditions and allows for many ways of scaling, which makes it accessible for wide application. Tungsten diselenide, possessing characteristics similar to graphene, is a semiconductor material that can be used in electronics, optics, and medicine.
To solve problems associated with the use of tungsten diselenide, spherical nanoparticles are needed. However, obtaining them from two-dimensional materials has been a challenging task. The researchers found a solution by immersing a crystal of several layers of tungsten diselenide in deionized water and irradiating it with powerful laser pulses lasting trillionths of a second. As a result of this process, spherical nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 to 150 nanometers were obtained, which is ideal for biological applications.
In addition, these nanoparticles inherit the unique optical properties of the original material, which makes them promising for use in nano-optics. Scientists have also discovered that, under the influence of light, the particles heat up four times more efficiently than the original crystal and silicon nanoparticles of a similar size. Andrey Ushkov, a senior researcher at MIPT, noted that this opens up new opportunities for developing methods of theranostics and photothermal therapy for cancer, as well as for other tasks where the conversion of light into heat is required.
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