Amorphous Silica Nanoparticles Promote Monocyte Adhesion to Human Endothelial Cells: Size‐Dependent Effect

There is evidence that nanoparticles can induce endothelial dysfunction. Here, the effect of monodisperse amorphous silica nanoparticles (SiO₂‐NPs) of different diameters on endothelial cells function is examined. Human endothelial cell line (EA.hy926) or primary human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (hPAEC) are seeded in inserts introduced or not above triple cell co‐cultures (pneumocytes, macrophages, and mast cells). Endothelial cells are incubated with SiO₂‐NPs at non‐cytotoxic concentrations for 12 h. A significant increase (up to 2‐fold) in human monocytes adhesion to endothelial cells is observed for 18 and 54 nm particles. Exposure to SiO₂‐NPs induces protein expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1) as well as significant up‐regulation in mRNA expression of ICAM‐1 in both endothelial cell types. Experiments performed with fluorescent‐labelled monodisperse amorphous SiO₂‐NPs of similar size evidence nanoparticle uptake into the cytoplasm of endothelial cells. It is concluded that exposure of human endothelial cells to amorphous silica nanoparticles enhances their adhesive properties. This process is modified by the size of the nanoparticle and the presence of other co‐cultured cells.     

Cobalt Nanoparticles and Atomic Sites in Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Frameworks for Highly Sensitive Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide

In situ monitoring of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) during its production process is needed. Here, an electrochemical H₂O₂ sensor with a wide linear current response range (concentration: 5 × 10^?8 to 5 × 10^?2 m ), a low detection limit (32.4 × 10^?9 m ), and a high sensitivity (568.47 µA mm ^?1 cm^?2) is developed. The electrocatalyst of the sensor consists of cobalt nanoparticles and atomic Co‐N_x moieties anchored on nitrogen doped carbon nanotube arrays (Co‐N/CNT), which is obtained through the pyrolysis of the sandwich‐like urea@ZIF‐67 complex. More cobalt nanoparticles and atomic Co‐N_x as active sites are exposed during pyrolysis, contributing to higher electrocatalytic activity. Moreover, a portable screen‐printed electrode sensor is constructed and demonstrated for rapidly detecting (cost ≈40 s) H₂O₂ produced in microbial fuel cells with only 50 µL solution. Both the synthesis strategy and sensor design can be applied to other energy and environmental fields.     

Microtubular Fuel Cell with Ultrahigh Power Output per Footprint

A novel realization of microtubular direct methanol fuel cells (µ DMFC) with ultrahigh power output is reported by using “rolled‐up” nanotechnology. The microtube (Pt‐RuO₂‐RUMT) is prepared by rolling up Ru₂O layers coated with magnetron‐sputtered Pt nanoparticles (cat‐NPs). The µ DMFC is fabricated by embedding the tube in a fluidic cell. The footprint of per tube is as small as 1.5 × 10^?4 cm². A power density of ≈257 mW cm^?2 is obtained, which is three orders of magnitude higher than the present microsized DFMCs. Atomic layer deposition technique is applied to alleviate the methanol crossover as well as improve stability of the tube, sustaining electrolyte flow for days. A laminar flow driven mechanism is proposed, and the kinetics of the fuel oxidation depends on a linear‐diffusion‐controlled process. The electrocatalytic performance on anode and cathode is studied by scanning both sides of the tube wall as an ex situ working electrode, respectively. This prototype µ DFMC is extremely interesting for integration with micro‐ and nanoelectronics systems.     

Nanoparticles of Mesoporous SO3H‐Functionalized Si‐MCM‐41 with Superior Proton Conductivity

Nanometer‐sized mesoporous silica particles of around 100‐nm diameter functionalized with a large amount of sulfonic acid groups are prepared using a simple and fast in situ co‐condensation procedure. A highly ordered hexagonal pore structure is established by applying a pre‐hydrolysis step in a high‐dilution synthesis approach, followed by adding the functionalization agent to the reaction mixture. The high‐dilution approach is advantageous for the in situ functionalization since no secondary reagents for an effective particle and framework formation are needed. Structural data are determined via electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and X‐ray diffraction, proton conductivity values of the functionalized samples are measured via impedance spectroscopy. The obtained mesoporous SO₃H‐MCM‐41 nanoparticles demonstrate superior proton conductivity than their equally loaded micrometer‐sized counterparts, up to 5 × 10^?2 S cm^?1. The mesoporosity of the particles turns out to be very important for effective proton transport since non‐porous silica nanoparticles exhibit worse efficient proton transport, and the obtained particle size dependence might open up a new route in rational design of highly proton conductive materials.     

Influence of Silicification on the Structural and Biological Properties of Buffer‐Mediated Collagen Hydrogels

A buffer‐mediated gelation route for collagen hydrogels that allows the formation of homogeneous composite and hybrid materials with various silica sources (i.e., colloidal silica and soluble silicates) at high concentration (up to 25 × 10^?3 M ) is described. Most significant improvement in rheological properties and proliferation of primary adult human dermal fibroblasts was obtained for the silicate‐based hybrid materials. A similar trend was observed in composite materials incorporating 14 nm SiO₂ nanoparticles, although to a much lesser extent, whereas larger colloids (80 and 390 nm) did not significantly impact mechanical stability and cell behavior. Modification of 80 nm particles surface with amine groups weakens the collagen‐mineral interface, resulting in the decrease of material stability and leading to particle aggregation during the course of cell proliferation experiments.     

Room‐Temperature Solution‐Synthesized p‐Type Copper(I) Iodide Semiconductors for Transparent Thin‐Film Transistors and Complementary Electronics

Here, room‐temperature solution‐processed inorganic p‐type copper iodide (CuI) thin‐film transistors (TFTs) are reported for the first time. The spin‐coated 5 nm thick CuI film has average hole mobility (µ_FE) of 0.44 cm² V^?1 s^?1 and on/off current ratio of 5 × 10². Furthermore, µ_FE increases to 1.93 cm² V^?1 s^?1 and operating voltage significantly reduces from 60 to 5 V by using a high permittivity ZrO₂ dielectric layer replacing traditional SiO₂. Transparent complementary inverters composed of p‐type CuI and n‐type indium gallium zinc oxide TFTs are demonstrated with clear inverting characteristics and voltage gain over 4. These outcomes provide effective approaches for solution‐processed inorganic p‐type semiconductor inks and related electronics.     

Fabry–Pérot Oscillation and Room Temperature Lasing in Perovskite Cube‐Corner Pyramid Cavities

Recently, organometal halide perovskite‐based optoelectronics, particularly lasers, have attracted intensive attentions because of its outstanding spectral coherence, low threshold, and wideband tunability. In this work, high‐quality CH₃NH₃PbBr₃ single crystals with a unique shape of cube‐corner pyramids are synthesized on mica substrates using chemical vapor deposition method. These micropyramids naturally form cube‐corner cavities, which are eminent candidates for small‐sized resonators and retroreflectors. The as‐grown perovskites show strong emission ≈530 nm in the vertical direction at room temperature. A special Fabry–Pérot (F–P) mode is employed to interpret the light confinement in the cavity. Lasing from the perovskite pyramids is observed from 80 to 200 K, with threshold ranging from ≈92 µJ cm^?2 to 2.2 mJ cm^?2, yielding a characteristic temperature of T₀ = 35 K. By coating a thin layer of Ag film, the threshold is reduced from ≈92 to 26 µJ cm^?2, which is accompanied by room temperature lasing with a threshold of ≈75 µJ cm^?2. This work advocates the prospect of shape‐engineered perovskite crystals toward developing micro‐sized optoelectronic devices and potentially investigating light–matter coupling in quantum optics.     

MXene‐Derived Ferroelectric Crystals

This study demonstrates the first synthesis of MXene‐derived ferroelectric crystals. Specifically, high‐aspect‐ratio potassium niobate (KNbO₃) ferroelectric crystals is successfully synthesized using 2D Nb₂C, MXene, and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as the niobium and potassium source, respectively. Material analysis confirms that a KNbO₃ orthorhombic phase with Amm2 symmetry is obtained. Additionally, ferroelectricity in KNbO₃ is confirmed using standard ferroelectric, dielectric, and piezoresponse force microscopy measurements. The KNbO₃ crystals exhibit a saturated polarization of ≈21 µC cm^?2, a remnant polarization of ≈17 µC cm^?2, and a coercive field of ≈50 kV cm^?1. This discovery illustrates that the 2D nature of MXenes can be exploited to grow ferroelectric crystals.     

Nickel Diselenide Ultrathin Nanowires Decorated with Amorphous Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced Water Splitting Electrocatalysis

Well‐designed hybrid materials based on noble metal‐free elements have great potential to generate hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) sustainably via overall water splitting for developing practical energy‐related technologies. Herein, an accessible method is presented to synthesize nickel diselenide (NiSe₂) ultrathin nanowires decorated with amorphous nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO_x NPs) as multifunctional electrocatalysts (NSWANs) for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER). The NSWANs exhibit quite low HER and OER overpotentials of 174 and 295 mV, respectively, holding the current density of 20 mA cm^?2 for 24 h continuous operations in alkaline media. Meanwhile, a cell voltage of 1.547 V at the current density of 10 mA cm^?2 for overall water splitting has been achieved by the NSWANs for the practical application, which could maintain fascinating activity of 20 mA cm^?2 for 72 h without degradation. The decorated NiO_x NPs not only prevent the NiSe₂ from further oxidation but also expose requisite active sites for electrocatalytic process. It is believed that this study may provide a valuable strategy to design high‐efficiency electrocatalysts and expand the applications of selenide‐based materials.     

Amorphous Bimetallic Oxide–Graphene Hybrids as Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts for Rechargeable Zn–Air Batteries

Metal oxides of earth‐abundant elements are promising electrocatalysts to overcome the sluggish oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reaction (OER/ORR) in many electrochemical energy‐conversion devices. However, it is difficult to control their catalytic activity precisely. Here, a general three‐stage synthesis strategy is described to produce a family of hybrid materials comprising amorphous bimetallic oxide nanoparticles anchored on N‐doped reduced graphene oxide with simultaneous control of nanoparticle elemental composition, size, and crystallinity. Amorphous Fe_0.5Co_0.5O_x is obtained from Prussian blue analog nanocrystals, showing excellent OER activity with a Tafel slope of 30.1 mV dec^?1 and an overpotential of 257 mV for 10 mA cm^?2 and superior ORR activity with a large limiting current density of ?5.25 mA cm^?2 at 0.6 V. A fabricated Zn–air battery delivers a specific capacity of 756 mA h g_Zn^?1 (corresponding to an energy density of 904 W h kg_Zn^?1), a peak power density of 86 mW cm^?2 and can be cycled over 120 h at 10 mA cm^?2. Other two amorphous bimetallic, Ni_0.4Fe_0.6O_x and Ni_0.33Co_0.67O_x , are also produced to demonstrate the general applicability of this method for synthesizing binary metal oxides with controllable structures as electrocatalysts for energy conversion.     

Fabrication of multilayered Au/silica/gadolinium compound core–shell particles and their imaging properties

The present work proposes a preparation method for multilayered Au nanoparticle/silica/gadolinium compound core–shell (Au/SiO₂/GdC) particles. Silica-coated Au core–shell (Au/SiO₂) particles with a size of 38.0?nm were prepared by a sol-gel reaction in the presence of the Au nanoparticles with a size of 15.5?nm. Multilayered Au/SiO₂/GdC particles with sizes of ca. 35–52?nm were prepared by a homogeneous precipitation reaction in the presence of Au/SiO₂ particles. The computed tomography (CT) value of the Au/SiO₂/GdC colloid solution containing 4.3?×?10^?2?M Au was 344.1?HU: Its converted CT value (CT divided by Au concentration) was as large as 8.0?×?10³?HU/M. The r₁ value of the Au/SiO₂/GdC colloid solution was as large as 3.5?mM^?1?s^?1.     

Scalable Design of Two‐Dimensional Oxide Nanosheets for Construction of Ultrathin Multilayer Nanocapacitor

Large size of capacitors is the main hurdle in miniaturization of current electronic devices. Herein, a scalable solution‐based layer‐by‐layer engineering of metallic and high‐κ dielectric nanosheets into multilayer nanosheet capacitors (MNCs) with overall thickness of ≈20 nm is presented. The MNCs are built through neat tiling of 2D metallic Ru_0.95O₂^0.2? and high‐κ dielectric Ca₂NaNb₄O₁₃^? nanosheets via the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) approach at room temperature which is verified by cross‐sectional high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The resultant MNCs demonstrate a high capacitance of 40–52 µF cm^?2 and low leakage currents down to 10^?5–10^?6 A cm^?2. Such MNCs also possess complimentary in situ robust dielectric properties under high‐temperature measurements up to 250 °C. Based on capacitance normalized by the thickness, the developed MNC outperforms state‐of‐the‐art multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC, ≈22 µF cm^?2/5 × 10⁴ nm) present in the market. The strategy is effective due to the advantages of facile, economical, and ambient temperature solution assembly.     

Amorphous Intermediate Derivative from ZIF‐67 and Its Outstanding Electrocatalytic Activity

Increasing active sites is an effective method to enhance the catalytic activity of catalysts. Amorphous materials have attracted considerable attention in catalysis because of their abundant catalytic active sites. Herein, a series of derivatives is prepared via the low‐temperature heat treatment of ZIF‐67 hollow sphere at different temperatures. An intermediate product with an amorphous structure is formed during transformation from ZIF‐67 to Co₃O₄ nanocrystallines when ZIF‐67 hollow sphere is heat treated at 260 °C for 3 h. The chemical composition of the amorphous derivative is similar to that of ZIF‐67, and the carbon and nitrogen contents of the amorphous derivative are obviously higher than those of crystalline samples obtained at 270 °C or higher. As electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and nonenzymatic glucose sensing, the amorphous derivative exhibits significantly better catalytic activity than crystalline Co₃O₄ samples. The amorphous sample as an OER catalyst has a low overpotential of 352 mV at 10 mA cm^?2. The amorphous sample as an enzyme‐free glucose sensing catalyst can provide a low detection limit of 3.9 × 10^?6 m and a high sensitivity of 1074.22 µA mM^?1 cm^?2.     

Poly(1,4‐Diethynylbenzene) Gradient Homojunction with Enhanced Charge Carrier Separation for Photoelectrochemical Water Reduction

As appealing photoelectrode materials for photoeletrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (PEC HER), conjugated polymers still show poor PEC HER performance as a result of their serious recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Herein, a novel design of gradient homojunction is demonstrated by controlled copolymerization of 1,4‐diethynylbenzene (DEB) and 1,3,5‐triethynylbenzene (TEB). The as‐built gradient distribution of TEB monomer in poly(1,4‐diethynylbenzene) (pDEB) leads to continuous band bending engineering, which constitutes a gradient homojunction. Under AM 1.5G irradiation and in 0.1 m Na₂SO₄ aqueous solution, the as‐fabricated pDEB gradient homojunction exhibits a charge separation efficiency of 0.27% at 0.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), which is 3.4 and 1.7 times higher than those for pure pDEB and the traditionally designed pDEB homojunction. As a result, the photocurrent of the pDEB gradient homojunction unprecedentedly reaches 55 µA cm^?2 at 0.3 V versus RHE, which is much higher than 19 µA cm^?2 for pure pDEB, 32 µA cm^?2 for the pDEB homojunction, and state‐of‐the‐art organic photocathodes, e.g., g‐C₃N₄ (≈1?32 µA cm^?2). This work opens up a new window for the design of gradient homojunctions and will advance the exploration of high‐performance organic photoelectrodes.     

Giant Polarization Sustainability in Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films Stabilized by Charge Transfer

Ferroelectricity is generally deteriorated or even vanishes when the ferroelectric films are downsized to unit cell scale. To maintain and enhance the polarization in nanoscale ferroelectrics are of scientific and technological importance. Here, giant polarization sustainability is reported in a series of ultrathin PbTiO₃ films scaled down to three unit cells grown on NdGaO₃(110) substrates with La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ as bottom electrodes. Atomic mappings via aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy demonstrate the robust ferroelectricity for the sub‐10 nm thick film. For the 1.2 nm thick film, the polarization reaches ≈50 µC cm^?2. The 2 nm thick film possesses a polarization as high as the bulk value. The films ranging from 10 to 35 nm display a giant elongation of out‐of‐plane lattice parameter, which corresponds to a polarization of 100 µC cm^?2, 20% larger than that of the bulk PbTiO₃. The giant enhancement of polarization in the present films is proposed to result from the charge transfer at the La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃/PbTiO₃ interface, as supported by the anomalous decrease of Mn valence measured from X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These results reveal the significant role of charge transfer at interfaces in improving large polarizations in ultrathin ferroelectrics and are meaningful for the development of future electronic devices.     

Albumin Nanoshell Encapsulation of Near‐Infrared‐Excitable Rare‐Earth Nanoparticles Enhances Biocompatibility and Enables Targeted Cell Imaging

The use of traditional fluorophores for in vivo imaging applications is limited by poor quantum yield, poor tissue penetration of the excitation light, and excessive tissue autofluorescence, while the use of inorganic fluorescent particles that offer a high quantum yield is frequently limited due to particle toxicity. Rare‐earth‐doped nanoparticles that utilize near‐infrared upconversion overcome the optical limitations of traditional fluorophores, but are not typically suitable for biological application due to their insolubility in aqueous solution, lack of functional surface groups for conjugation of biomolecules, and potential cytotoxicity. A new approach to establish highly biocompatible and biologically targetable nanoshell complexes of luminescent rare‐earth‐doped NaYF₄ nanoparticles (REs) excitable with 920–980 nm near‐infrared light for biomedical imaging applications is reported. The approach involves the encapsulation of NaYF₄ nanoparticles doped with Yb and Er within human serum albumin nanoshells to create water‐dispersible, biologically functionalizable composite particles. These particles exhibit narrow size distributions around 200 nm and are stable in aqueous solution for over 4 weeks. The albumin shell confers cytoprotection and significantly enhances the biocompatibility of REs even at concentrations above 200 µg REs mL^?1. Composite particles conjugated with cyclic arginine‐glycine‐aspartic acid (cRGD) specifically target both human glioblastoma cell lines and melanoma cells expressing α_vβ₃ integrin receptors. These findings highlight the promise of albumin‐encapsulated rare‐earth nanoparticles for imaging cancer cells in vitro and the potential for targeted imaging of disease sites in vivo.     

Sigma-2 receptor ligand anchored telmisartan loaded nanostructured lipid particles augmented drug delivery,cytotoxicity, apoptosis and cellular uptake in prostate cancer cells

Recently, the anticancer activity of telmisartan (TEL) has been discovered against prostate cancer. Nevertheless, despite favorable therapeutic profile, poor aqueous solubility and suboptimal oral bioavailability hamper the anticancer efficacy of TEL. Therefore, in this investigation, sigma-2 receptor ligand, 3-(4-cyclohexylpiperazine-1-yl) propyl amine (CPPA) anchored nanostructured lipid particles of telmisartan (CPPA-TEL-NLPs) were engineered using stearic acid for targeting prostate cancer, PC-3 cells. The mean particle size of TEL-NLPs was measured to be 25.4?±?3.2?nm, significantly (p?p?p?In vitro drug release study was conducted to determine the drug delivery potential of tailored nanoparticles. TEL-NLPs released 93.36% of drug significantly (p?50 of CPPA-TEL-NLPs was measured to be 20.3?µM significantly (p?50 of 41.3?µM, significantly (p?>?0.05) not different from 43.4?µM, exhibited by TEL-NLPs in PNT-2 cells. We elucidated that CPPA-TEL-NLPs entered the PC-3 cells via receptor mediated endocytosis pathway and thus exhibited superior cytotoxicity, apoptosis and greater extent of cellular uptake in PC-3 cells. In conclusion, CPPA-TEL-NLPs may be a promising nanomedicine and warrant further in vivo investigations for gaining clinical success.     

Synthesis of nanoamorphous germanium and its transformation to nanocrystalline germanium

A simple reaction between a mild reducing agent such as a trialkoxysilane and Ge^IV species such as germanium tetraalkoxides in a room‐temperature water/alcohol solution produces silica‐coated ultrasmall (2–3 nm) amorphous germanium nanoparticles (na‐Ge/SiO₂). The initial reaction involves the straightforward hydrolysis and condensation of the precursors, Ge(OCH₂CH₃)₄ and (CH₃CH₂O)₃SiH, where the reaction rate depends on the water concentration in the reaction medium. These processes can be further accelerated by adding acid to the reaction medium or carrying out the reaction at higher temperatures. At low water contents (up to 50% water/ethanol) and low acid concentrations, the reaction proceeds as a clear solution, and no precipitation is observed. The initially colorless clear solution progressively changes to pale yellow, yellow, orange, red, and finally dark red as the na‐Ge particles grow. Evaporation of the solvent yields a reddish‐brown powder/monolith consisting of na‐Ge, embedded in an encapsulating amorphous silica matrix, na‐Ge/SiO₂. The formation of na‐Ge proceeds extremely slowly and follows a first‐order dependence on both water concentration and diameter of the na‐Ge particles under the reaction conditions used. Annealing of the na‐Ge/SiO₂ powder under an inert atmosphere at 600 °C produces ultrasmall germanium nanocrystals (nc‐Ge) embedded in amorphous silica (nc‐Ge/SiO₂). Freestanding, colloidally stable nc‐Ge is obtained by chemical etching of the encapsulating silica matrix.     

A Magnetic‐Field Guided Interface Coassembly Approach to Magnetic Mesoporous Silica Nanochains for Osteoclast‐Targeted Inhibition and Heterogeneous Nanocatalysis

1D core–shell magnetic materials with mesopores in shell are highly desired for biocatalysis, magnetic bioseparation, and bioenrichment and biosensing because of their unique microstructure and morphology. In this study, 1D magnetic mesoporous silica nanochains (Fe₃O₄@nSiO₂@mSiO₂ nanochain, Magn‐MSNCs named as FDUcs‐17C) are facilely synthesized via a novel magnetic‐field‐guided interface coassembly approach in two steps. Fe₃O₄ particles are coated with nonporous silica in a magnetic field to form 1D Fe₃O₄@nSiO₂ nanochains. A further interface coassembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and silica source in water/n‐hexane biliquid system leads to 1D Magn‐MSNCs with core–shell–shell structure, uniform diameter (≈310 nm), large and perpendicular mesopores (7.3 nm), high surface area (317 m² g^?1), and high magnetization (34.9 emu g^?1). Under a rotating magnetic field, the nanochains with loaded zoledronate (a medication for treating bone diseases) in the mesopores, show an interesting suppression effect of osteoclasts differentiation, due to their 1D nanostructure that provides a shearing force in dynamic magnetic field to induce sufficient and effective reactions in cells. Moreover, by loading Au nanoparticles in the mesopores, the 1D Fe₃O₄@nSiO₂@mSiO₂‐Au nanochains can service as a catalytically active magnetic nanostirrer for hydrogenation of 4‐nitrophenol with high catalytic performance and good magnetic recyclability.     

Multifunctional Yolk‐in‐Shell Nanoparticles for pH‐triggered Drug Release and Imaging

Multifunctional nanoparticles are synthesized for both pH‐triggered drug release and imaging with radioluminescence, upconversion luminescent, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The particles have a yolk‐in‐shell morphology, with a radioluminescent core, an upconverting shell, and a hollow region between the core and shell for loading drugs. They are synthesized by controlled encapsulation of a radioluminescent nanophosphor yolk in a silica shell, partial etching of the yolk in acid, and encapsulation of the silica with an upconverting luminescent shell. Metroxantrone, a chemotherapy drug, was loaded into the hollow space between X‐ray phosphor yolk and up‐conversion phosphor shell through pores in the shell. To encapsulate the drug and control the release rate, the nanoparticles are coated with pH‐responsive biocompatible polyelectrolyte layers of charged hyaluronic acid sodium salt and chitosan. The nanophosphors display bright luminescence under X‐ray, blue light (480 nm), and near infrared light (980 nm). They also served as T₁ and T₂ MRI contrast agents with relaxivities of 3.5 mM^?1 s^?1 (r₁) and 64 mM^?1s^?1 (r₂). These multifunctional nanocapsules have applications in controlled drug delivery and multimodal imaging.