Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
186,625 studies31 sourcesUpdated 6 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0ACS Omega

H-BCN Quantum Dots as Potential 10B Carriers and Imaging Tools for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) Applications

  • Maria Paola Demichelis1,2
  • Patrizia Sommi2,3
  • Agustina Mariana Portu4,5,6
  • Mario Alberto Gadan4
  • Daniele Dondi7
  • Dhanalakshmi Vadivel7
  • Silva Bortolussi1,2
  • Umberto Anselmi-Tamburini2,7
7 affiliations
  1. 1University of Pavia , , via A. Bassi 6 , ,
  2. 2Unit of Pavia , , via A. Bassi 6 , ,
  3. 3University of Pavia , , via Forlanini , ,
  4. 4National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) , Av.del Libertador 8250 , ,
  5. 5National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET) , Gordoy Cruz 2290 , ,
  6. 6National University of San Martín , , Av. 25 de Mayo y Francia , , ,
  7. 7University of Pavia , , via Taramelli 12 , ,
Open at sourcePDFDOICite

Abstract

Boron Carbon Nitride (BCN) is a ternary compound exhibiting properties that lie between those of conductive graphene and insulating boron nitride. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have demonstrated that hexagonal BCN (h-BCN) exhibits unique optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, along with high chemical inertness and biocompatibility, making it a promising material for a wide range of applications. Given their high volumetric boron content, we evaluated the potential of h-BCN nanomaterials as vectors for delivering and accumulating 10B within cells, thereby enabling effective cancer treatment via targeted neutron irradiation for BNCT. In this work, we investigated the synthesis and characterization of h-BCN quantum dots (BCN-QDs) and assessed their potential as 10B carriers and imaging tools. Fluorescence microscopy and intracellular neutron autoradiography confirmed the internalization of BCN-QDs in vitro and their distribution within the cell population. BCN-QDs were selectively internalized in HeLa cells, resulting in high 10B concentrations and demonstrating their potential as 10B carriers for BNCT applications.

Related

  1. Bioengineered graphene–iron oxide nanocomposite and derived quantum dots as pro-angiogenic agents: potential therapeutic applications
    Kuppusamy Ravichandran Preethy, Raja Venkatesan, Munusamy Chamundeeswari +2
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textMaterials & polymersCrossref
  2. Lanthanide carriers: biomedical imaging redefined
    Yuxia Liu, Zixuan Chen, Mingyu Sui +10
    Frontiers in Science and Engineering International JournalPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full text3 citedMaterials & polymersHAL
  3. Tracking Evolution of Reactive Species in Pellets During HyDR through combined X-ray and Neutron Imaging
    Subhechchha Paul, Zipeng Xu, Maha Yusuf +7
    ChemRxivPreprintCC BYFull textGeneral chemistryChemRxiv
  4. Recent Advances in Polysaccharides from Sophora flavescens Ait.: Extraction, Purification, Structural Characteristics, Pharmacological Effects, Structure-Activity Relationships, and Potential Applications
    Gang Wang, Han Di, Xinxin Chen +2
    Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral chemistryEurope PMC
  5. Lightweight Mechanical Performance of Hybrid Al 2 O 3 /TiO 2 Nano-Reinforced Jute Fiber Biocomposites with Polyester and Epoxy Matrices for Potential Automotive Exterior Applications
    Nafissa Moussaoui, Salah Amroune, Moussa Zaoui +5
    Journal of Natural FibersPeer-reviewedCC BY5 citedMaterials & polymersOpenAlex

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{demichelis2026hbcn,
  title = {{H-BCN Quantum Dots as Potential 10B Carriers and Imaging Tools for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) Applications}},
  author = {Maria Paola Demichelis and Patrizia Sommi and Agustina Mariana Portu and Mario Alberto Gadan and Daniele Dondi and Dhanalakshmi Vadivel and Silva Bortolussi and Umberto Anselmi-Tamburini},
  journal = {ACS Omega},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c08600},
  url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c08600/5461376/H-BCN-Quantum-Dots-as-Potential-10B-Carriers-and},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - H-BCN Quantum Dots as Potential 10B Carriers and Imaging Tools for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) Applications
AU  - Maria Paola Demichelis
AU  - Patrizia Sommi
AU  - Agustina Mariana Portu
AU  - Mario Alberto Gadan
AU  - Daniele Dondi
AU  - Dhanalakshmi Vadivel
AU  - Silva Bortolussi
AU  - Umberto Anselmi-Tamburini
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/30
JO  - ACS Omega
DO  - 10.1021/acsomega.6c08600
UR  - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c08600/5461376/H-BCN-Quantum-Dots-as-Potential-10B-Carriers-and
AB  - Boron Carbon Nitride (BCN) is a ternary compound exhibiting properties that lie between those of conductive graphene and insulating boron nitride. Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have demonstrated that hexagonal BCN (h-BCN) exhibits unique optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, along with high chemical inertness and biocompatibility, making it a promising material for a wide range of applications. Given their high volumetric boron content, we evaluated the potential of h-BCN nanomaterials as vectors for delivering and accumulating 10B within cells, thereby enabling effective cancer treatment via targeted neutron irradiation for BNCT. In this work, we investigated the synthesis and characterization of h-BCN quantum dots (BCN-QDs) and assessed their potential as 10B carriers and imaging tools. Fluorescence microscopy and intracellular neutron autoradiography confirmed the internalization of BCN-QDs in vitro and their distribution within the cell population. BCN-QDs were selectively internalized in HeLa cells, resulting in high 10B concentrations and demonstrating their potential as 10B carriers for BNCT applications.
SN  - 2470-1343
ER  -