A novel intelligent hybrid nano-sensor (IHNS) for detection and clearance of Al(III) prepared via "click chemistry"

Intelligent materials are functional material systems with intelligent responses to external stimulation. With the continuous advances in science and technology, intelligent materials have surfaced as a research trend in material science and are providing a new direction for the systematic application of nanocomposite materials. In this study, an intelligent organic-inorganic nano-hybrid sensor or intelligent nanorobot, POSS-RHB-PEG, was developed by employing density functional theoretic calculations (DFT) under the Gaussian 03 program by a "Click Chemistry" based preparation strategy, in which RHB group can act as a recognizing ion in the cell under the action of intense coordination field and then as a function of coordinating ions. A low-chain PEG with good cell permeability functions as a machine wheel on account of the principle of osmotic pressure. The POSS-based nanorobotic molecular analytical device, with appropriate bio-compatibility, was designed and developed for the semiquantitative, intuitive, and sensitive detection and morphological analysis of Al3+ ions in a real sample with a detection limit of 1.0x10-8 M. Significant color evolutions from colorless to red were observed by the naked eye under the ultraviolet lamp, resulting in a semiquantitative visual detection. Compared to the organic sensing material RHB-Ac, the intelligent nanorobot POSS-RHB-PEG has high stability, selectivity (sulfhydryl group can self-screen Fe3+ ions), and good biocompatibility. Furthermore, the nanohybrid nanorobot sensor successfully targeted HeLa cells, monitored cellular endogenous Al3+, and assessed cell stress in living cells. The nanohybrid nanorobot sensor POSS-RHB-PEG was also able to detect and image Al3+ in living nude mice, indicating its exceptional detection potential in biological systems, it mainly involves the detection of metal ions in blood and the detection and treatment of heavy metal ions caused by clinical bone and joint replacement.