{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T21:00:02Z","timestamp":1780434002847,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,10]],"date-time":"2022-12-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1670630400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI)","award":["PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0288"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0288"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Two novel fluorescent mesoporous silica-based hybrid materials were obtained through the covalent grafting of [4-hydrazinyl-7-nitrobenz-[2,1,3-d]-oxadiazole (NBDH) and N1-(7-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]-oxadiazol-4-yl) benzene-1,2-diamine (NBD-PD), respectively, inside the channels of mesoporous silica SBA-15. The presence of fluorescent organic compounds (nitrobenzofurazan derivatives) was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal analysis (TG), and fluorescence spectroscopy. The nitrogen physisorption analysis showed that the nitrobenzofurazan derivatives were distributed uniformly on the internal surface of SBA-15, the immobilization process having a negligible effect on the structure of the support. Their antioxidant activity was studied by measuring the ability to reduce free radicals DPPH (free radical scavenging activity), in order to formulate potential applications of the materials obtained. Cytotoxicity of the newly synthesized materials, SBA-NBDH and SBA-NBD-PD, was evaluated on human B16 melanoma cells. The morphology of these cells, internalization and localization of the investigated materials in melanoma and fibroblast cells were examined through fluorescence imaging. The viability of B16 (3D) spheroids after treatment with SBA-NBDH and SBA-NBD-PD was evaluated using MTS assay. The results showed that both materials induced a selective antiproliferative effect, reducing to various degrees the viability of melanoma cells. The observed effect was enhanced with increasing concentration. SBA-NBD-PD exhibited a higher antitumor effect compared to SBA-NBDH starting with a concentration of 125 \u00b5g\/mL. In both cases, a significantly more pronounced antiproliferative effect on tumor cells compared to normal cells was observed. The viability of B16 spheroids dropped by 40% after treatment with SBA-NBDH and SBA-NBD-PD at 500 \u00b5g\/mL concentration, indicating a clear cytotoxic effect of the tested compounds. These results suggest that both newly synthesized biomaterials could be promising antitumor agents for applications in cancer therapy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms232415663","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,12]],"date-time":"2022-12-12T01:42:27Z","timestamp":1670809347000},"page":"15663","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Novel Antitumor Agents Based on Fluorescent Benzofurazan Derivatives and Mesoporous Silica"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Madalina","family":"Tudose","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9289-5443","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela C.","family":"Culita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rodica D.","family":"Baratoiu-Carpen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raul-Augustin","family":"Mitran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2841-5809","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrei","family":"Kuncser","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomistilor Street No. 405 A, 077125 Magurele, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5615-6624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cosmin","family":"Romanitan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies, IMT-Bucharest, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae Street, 077190 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roxana Cristina","family":"Popescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei National Institute for Research and Development in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Reactorului 30, 077125 Magurele, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Science and Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1\u20137 Gheorghe Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 1\u20137 Gheorghe Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0145-5176","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diana Iulia","family":"Savu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei National Institute for Research and Development in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Reactorului 30, 077125 Magurele, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msec.2019.01.129","article-title":"Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles and Biomedical Applications","volume":"99","author":"Cao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mater. 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