Cell-Permeable Au@ZnMoS4 Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Toward a Novel Cellular Copper Detoxifying Drug for Wilson's Disease

A layer-by-layer self-assembly method leads to the formation of Au@ZnMoS4 core shell nanoparticles (NPs). The PEGylated Au@ZnMoS4 NPs are highly water-dispersible, exhibit no cytotoxicity, and can penetrate the cell membrane to selectively remove copper(I) ions from HepG2 cells in the presence of other endogenous and biologically essential metal ions, including Mg2+, Ga2+, Mn2+, and Fe2+, demonstrating their potential as a novel intracellular copper detoxifying agent.