Effect of ceria on the organization and bio-ability of anatase fullerene-like crystals

Abstract

The nanostructure and the oxygen storage capacity against reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential features to take into account during the design of a new material that will be used as the basis of novel therapeutic technologies. Here we evaluate the incorporation of nano-ceria, which has a demonstrated ability to scavenge free radicals under physiological conditions comparable to those observed for superoxide dismutase and catalase, to TiO₂ crystalline assemblies. The material was planned to merge the scavenging properties of CeO₂ on a specifically designed structured TiO₂ substrate. The presence of Ce atoms has a clear influence on the materials' morphologies, distorting the anatase crystal lattice and inducing the formation of fullerene-like structures. The cytotoxicity of the materials against L929 fibroblasts after 24 hours of cell culture was evaluated. Both structural and oxidative properties of the materials have a clear effect on fibroblast viability; in fact it was demonstrated that cellular proliferation can be modulated by varying the Ce³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ molar ratio.