The 12th Global Conference on Polymer and Composite Materials (PCM 2025)

Abstract: Perioperative diagnosis and residual focus clearance are difficult problems for solid tumors such as triple negative breast cancer. Polymer-based composite nanoparticles can drive or assist physicochemical reactions and biological effects in diagnostic processes, but multiphase reaction flow transfer and kinetic control are important challenges to improve response efficiency and specificity. Our group makes full use of melanin-like materials with synergistic molecular mode (based on phenol-quinone redox) and optical mode (based on electromagnetic effects of conjugated structures) to develop new composite materials. Aimed at two key scientific problems of " response modulation method for interface coupling and distance constraint of diagnosis and treatment elements" and "balancing engineering mechanism of confined activation and cascade transformation of active species", biochemical identification-response-amplification mechanisms and balancing engineering of active species are cross-fused in function transfer-synergy systems of composite nanomaterials. Homogeneous photoelectrochemical sensors for the detection of miRNA markers in tumor interstitial fluid with high reproducibility were developed by employing electron transfer cascade constrained by interface collision. Complex catalytic structures empowered with elementary transfer and efficient pore diffusion were designed to achieve a catalytic oxidation therapy system that efficiently overcomes tumor cell resistance. An interface-oriented control model and regulation paradigm for oxidative polymerization of melanin-like nanoparticles was established to develop a "contradiction complex" material that meets ROS balance engineering and inflammation control after phototherapy. The activity of infiltrated immune cells after activation and the efficiency of metastasis and recurrence inhibition was effectively enhanced. Finally, the key technical problem of "high-performance biosensor and combined ablation therapy driven by endogenous microenvironment and active materials" was broken through, and functional material construction strategies that accurately adapted to the complex response network modulation of the diagnosis and treatment process were formed. The above perioperative tumor auxiliary diagnosis and treatment materials with high efficiency and specificity, transmission coupling and material energy conversion flow synergy provide innovative solutions for the construction of intelligent nano-diagnosis and treatment systems.

Keywords: Composite Nanoparticles; Tumor Theranostics; Interfacial Processes; Catalysis Control; Cell Response

Acknowledgements: The work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, grant nos. 22175027 and 21734002), the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing (cstc2021jcyj-cxttX0002 and cstc2021jcyj-msxmX0178), project no. 2023CDJXY-051 supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the 100 Talents Program of Chongqing University (J.Z.). The Analytical and Testing Center of Chongqing University is greatly acknowledged for helping with the characterization of materials.

Biography: Dr. Jixi Zhang got his bachelor's/Ph. D. degree in Chemical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2007/2012 and did his post-doc research at Åbo Akademi University from 2012 to 2014. He is now presently a Professor/Vice Dean at College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University. His research focuses on bioactive composites for tumor adjuvant therapy, and pathological detection technologies based on nanosensor systems. Dr. Zhang published over 70 SCI articles/book chapters and was selected in National Talent Program of China. He is also a director of Chongqing Biomedical Engineering Society and an editorial board member of international journals like Materials Science & Technology.