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[[Vol. 80]Novel, Biocompatible UV Light Absorber_ WPI-MANA.pdf](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/filesets/09e33a65-4672-4a87-b926-3c0361849a01/download)

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International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA)

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[[Research Highlights Vol.80] Novel, Biocompatible UV Light Absorber](https://mdr.nims.go.jp/datasets/f7bba7eb-c926-4661-b4b3-d065c425a599)

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2022/11/07 8:53 Novel, Biocompatible UV Light Absorber| MANAhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol80.html 1/2Previous  Index  NextResearch Highlights[Vol. 80]Novel, Biocompatible UV Light Absorber28 Oct, 2022An International research team at WPI-MANA has developed a biocompatible ultraviolet (UV)light-shielding compound from naturally occurring aqueous iron(III), hereinafter aqua-Fe(III), complexes stabilized inside a layered silicate scaffold.UV-absorbing materials are important to many industries, spanning healthcare, cosmetics, andmaterial protection, among others. Their low environmental impact has made titanium dioxide (TiO2)nanoparticles the most commonly used UV absorber in sunscreens and cosmetics. However, manyhealth concerns -- including its toxicity to cells and carcinogenic potential -- surround the use of TiO2.This has triggered the search for alternative safer, biocompatible, yet affordable UV-shieldingcompounds.Now, researchers at WPI-MANA have prepared a new UV-absorbing material using biocompatible andreadily available aqua-Fe(III) complexes. These complexes, which are widely available in biologicalsystems, are naturally biocompatible. However, they are difficult to isolate and stabilize.The WPI-MANA team, led by Dr. Yusuke Ide, used a layered silicate to stabilize the dimeric state ofaqua-Fe(III) complexes. "The issue with aqua-Fe(III) complexes is that they are only stable inextremely acidic solutions, which presents a health hazard and is not feasible for use in productsrequiring UV shields. We use a material that has gaps, or pores, that are the size of the iron complexdimer. The aqua-Fe(III) dimer is imbedded into the silica pores and 'stuck' inside, thereby remainingstable even outside an acidic environment," explains Ide.https://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol79.htmlhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/index.html2022/11/07 8:53 Novel, Biocompatible UV Light Absorber| MANAhttps://www.nims.go.jp/mana/research/highlights/vol80.html 2/2The silica itself is flexible, biocompatible, and affordable, and doesn’t react with UV light, meaning itdoesn’t interfere with the UV-shielding properties of aqua-Fe(III). Moreover, when mixed with anatural oil, it forms a UV-absorbing material which could be interesting to the art and manufacturingindustries. "UV damage to paintings and other goods is a standard problem, and our material couldbe used as a protective layer. It is more transparent than -- and functions just as well as --conventional TiO2 coatings," concludes Ide.With a variety of silicate frameworks available, this new method of manufacturing UV-shieldingmaterials provides a clear blueprint for developing future applications of the same.Reference“Layered silicate stabilises diiron to mimic UV-shielding TiO2 nanoparticle”Hamza El-Hosainy, Shinya Mine, Takashi Toyao, Ken-ichi Shimizu, Nao Tsunoji, Mohamed Esmat,Esmail Doustkhah, Maged El-Kemary, and Yusuke Ide.Journal: Materials Today Nano, 2022, 19, 100227 (May 26 2022)DOI : 10.1016/j.mtnano.2022.100227AffiliationsInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for MaterialsScience (NIMS), Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, JapanContact informationInternational Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics(WPI-MANA)National Institute for Materials Science1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044 JapanPhone: +81-29-860-4710E-mail: mana-pr[AT]ml.nims.go.jpTo receive our e-mail newsletter “MANA Research Highlights”, please send an e-mail with "MANA ResearchHighlights request” in the subject line or main text to the following address: mana-pr_at_ml.nims.go.jp *Please change "_at_ " in the email address to @.https://samurai.nims.go.jp/profiles/mohamed_esmat?locale=enhttps://samurai.nims.go.jp/profiles/ide_yusuke?locale=enhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtnano.2022.100227