Liquid Metal as Bioinspired and Unusual Modulator in Bioorthogonal Catalysis for Tumor Inhibition Therapy

Bioorthogonal catalysis mediated by Pd-based transition metal catalysts has sparked increasing interest in combating diseases. However, the catalytic and therapeutic efficiency of current Pd-0 catalysts is unsatisfactory. Herein, inspired by the concept that ligands around metal sites could enable enzymes to catalyze astonishing reactions by changing their electronic environment, a LM-Pd catalyst with liquid metal (LM) as an unusual modulator has been designed to realize efficient bioorthogonal catalysis for tumor inhibition. The LM matrix can serve as a ligand to afford an electron-rich environment to stabilize the active Pd-0 and promote nucleophilic turnover of the pi-allylpalladium species to accelerate the uncaging process. Besides, the photothermal properties of LM can lead to the enhanced removal of tumor cells by photo-enhanced catalysis and photothermal effect. We believe that our work will broaden the application of LM and motivate the design of bioinspired bioorthogonal catalysts.

Automated summary

Bioorthogonal catalysis mediated by Pd-based transition metal catalysts has gained interest in combating diseases, but the current Pd-0 catalysts are not efficient enough. In this study, a LM-Pd catalyst with liquid metal as an unusual modulator has been designed for efficient bioorthogonal catalysis for tumor inhibition. The LM matrix stabilizes the active Pd-0 and promotes the uncaging process, while the photothermal properties of LM enhance the removal of tumor cells. This work expands the application of LM and inspires the design of bioinspired bioorthogonal catalysts.