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 in the materials' morphologies, distorting 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 varying the Ce3+/Ti4+ molar ratio.