Arsenene nanomotors as anticancer drug carrier

Abstract

Nanotechnology has allowed rapid advancements in nanomachines for variety of biomedical applications, including drug delivery, due to their loading and transporting capabilities. Utilizing pnictogen, such as arsenic, antimony and bismuth, as nanomachines for biomedical applications are still in infancy. Herein, template-less arsenene-based Janus nanomachines with layered structure which allowed high loading capacity are explored by specifically modifying arsenene nanoparticles with platinum, forming As-Pt nanomotors. Their motion capabilities, biocompatibility and drug loading competency were thoroughly investigated. The results showed fast, biocompatible, high drug loading and high cellular uptake of As-Pt nanomotors. These findings open new direction in arsenene nanoparticles as nontoxic self-propelled drug carrier applications.