Manipulating Liquid-Liquid Interphase Solute Diffusion for the Construction of Non-Symmetric Metal-Quinone Network...

Non-symmetric nanoarchitectonics have demonstrated superior performance in nanotherapeutics compared to their symmetric counterparts, particularly in the design of self-propelled nanodrug delivery systems. However, achieving precise morphological control of non-symmetric nanoarchitectonics composed of molecular drugs, without the use of templates and surfactants, remains a significant challenge. In this work, a strategy is presented to construct non-symmetric metal-quinone network (MQN) nanoarchitectonics with controlled morphology and size by manipulating solute and solvent diffusion behaviors during the nanoprecipitation process. The findings reveal that solute diffusion at the liquid-liquid interface of miscible solvent and antisolvent can be confined by self-generated MQNs, which in turn dictates the morphology of the resulting nanoarchitectonics. By regulating interphase solute diffusion kinetics, a variety of MQN nanoarchitectonics are successfully produced with spherical, semifootball-like, and bowl-like morphologies, ranging in sizes from tens to hundred of nanometers. Notably, the non-symmetric MQN nanobowls are further employed to create self-propelled nanodrugs, which indicates enhanced efficacy in tumor therapy. This study underscores the critical role of liquid-liquid interphase solute diffusion in determining the morphology and size of MQN nanoarchitectonics and highlights the potential of nanoprecipitation as a powerful technique for the precise fabrication of non-symmetric nanoarchitectonics.