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Visible-light activated photodegradation of DNA and lipid membranes by nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide-gold nanorods composites

Puleo, Giorgia ; Ferrara, Vittorio ; Caselli, Lucrezia LU ; Sancataldo, Giuseppe ; Fiore, Tiziana ; Malmsten, Martin LU ; Licciardi, Mariano ; Foderà, Vito and Vetri, Valeria (2026) In Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 476.
Abstract

The growing challenge of antibiotic resistance calls for alternative therapeutic strategies beyond conventional antibiotics. Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT), based on the light-induced generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), offers a non-specific approach that is detrimental to bacterial cells at multiple levels. Here, we explore the photocatalytic properties of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2) and compare them with those of the N-TiO2/AuNRs composite, a colloidal hybrid system formed by combining N-TiO2 with gold nanorods (AuNRs) upon excitation with a blue visible light centered at 420 nm. The synthesized materials underwent thorough in-depth morphological characterization to... (More)

The growing challenge of antibiotic resistance calls for alternative therapeutic strategies beyond conventional antibiotics. Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT), based on the light-induced generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), offers a non-specific approach that is detrimental to bacterial cells at multiple levels. Here, we explore the photocatalytic properties of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2) and compare them with those of the N-TiO2/AuNRs composite, a colloidal hybrid system formed by combining N-TiO2 with gold nanorods (AuNRs) upon excitation with a blue visible light centered at 420 nm. The synthesized materials underwent thorough in-depth morphological characterization to investigate their structural and functional features. Their photocatalytic activity was first evaluated using methyl orange as a model molecule, and subsequently on DNA and model lipid membranes, key components of bacterial life. Spectroscopic techniques were employed to highlight details on the oxidative damages at the molecular level. Scavenging experiments were performed to identify the reactive species involved in the photocatalytic process. The results highlight the potential of the composite N-TiO2/AuNRs as promising agent for photodynamic therapy, providing insights into how oxidative processes alter molecular targets.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
DNA oxidation, Gold nanorods, Lipid peroxidation, Photodynamic therapy, Titanium dioxide, Visible light photocatalysis
in
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry
volume
476
article number
117107
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105030228515
ISSN
1010-6030
DOI
10.1016/j.jphotochem.2026.117107
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
03f75cb5-eaf2-455a-b7c8-2859e0fa02a5
date added to LUP
2026-02-27 14:55:23
date last changed
2026-02-27 14:55:28
@article{03f75cb5-eaf2-455a-b7c8-2859e0fa02a5,
  abstract     = {{<p>The growing challenge of antibiotic resistance calls for alternative therapeutic strategies beyond conventional antibiotics. Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT), based on the light-induced generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), offers a non-specific approach that is detrimental to bacterial cells at multiple levels. Here, we explore the photocatalytic properties of nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO<sub>2</sub>) and compare them with those of the N-TiO<sub>2</sub>/AuNRs composite, a colloidal hybrid system formed by combining N-TiO<sub>2</sub> with gold nanorods (AuNRs) upon excitation with a blue visible light centered at 420 nm. The synthesized materials underwent thorough in-depth morphological characterization to investigate their structural and functional features. Their photocatalytic activity was first evaluated using methyl orange as a model molecule, and subsequently on DNA and model lipid membranes, key components of bacterial life. Spectroscopic techniques were employed to highlight details on the oxidative damages at the molecular level. Scavenging experiments were performed to identify the reactive species involved in the photocatalytic process. The results highlight the potential of the composite N-TiO<sub>2</sub>/AuNRs as promising agent for photodynamic therapy, providing insights into how oxidative processes alter molecular targets.</p>}},
  author       = {{Puleo, Giorgia and Ferrara, Vittorio and Caselli, Lucrezia and Sancataldo, Giuseppe and Fiore, Tiziana and Malmsten, Martin and Licciardi, Mariano and Foderà, Vito and Vetri, Valeria}},
  issn         = {{1010-6030}},
  keywords     = {{DNA oxidation; Gold nanorods; Lipid peroxidation; Photodynamic therapy; Titanium dioxide; Visible light photocatalysis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry}},
  title        = {{Visible-light activated photodegradation of DNA and lipid membranes by nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide-gold nanorods composites}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2026.117107}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jphotochem.2026.117107}},
  volume       = {{476}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}