Synthesis, characterization, and biological investigation of functionalized graphene oxide nanoparticles with N-(Ferrocenylmethyl)-2-nitroaniline

Abstract

In this study, a novel nanocomposite graphene oxide functionalized with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) and N-(ferrocenylmethyl)-2-nitroaniline (FcM2NA), denoted as GO@APTES@FcM2NA was synthesized via a modified Hummers method. APTES was employed as a molecular linker to covalently attach FcM2NA to the GO surface. The resulting nanocomposite was thoroughly characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and SEM-EDX analysis. The interaction between GO@APTES@FcM2NA and DNA was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and UV–visible spectroscopy, revealing spontaneous binding via electrostatic interactions. Biological evaluations included cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic assays. Doxorubicin was used as a positive control in the cytotoxicity studies. After 24 h of treatment, the IC50values for HT-29, MCF-7, and CCD-1079Sk cell lines were 55.96 ± 0.40 μg/mL, 44.06 ± 0.38 μg/mL, and 104.20 ± 0.51 μg/mL, respectively. At 48 h, the corresponding IC50 values were 14.10 ± 0.57 μg/mL, 180.10 ± 0.50 μg/mL, and 215.60 ± 0.51 μg/mL. The nanocomposite exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward breast and colorectal cancer cells while maintaining lower toxicity in normal fibroblasts. Anti-inflammatory activity, assessed by albumin denaturation inhibition, reached 50.14 % at 700 μg/mL, with an IC50 of 669.08 μg/mL. In the α-amylase inhibition assay, the nanocomposite achieved 58.58 % inhibition at 700 μg/mL, with an IC50 of 557.13 μg/mL. These results highlight the potential of GO@APTES@FcM2NA as a multifunctional therapeutic agent with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties.