Synthesis, Characterization, and Genotoxic and Cytotoxic In Vitro Evaluation of Ceramic Nanoparticles of Sc Oxide Powders and Aerogels Doped with Europium Ions.

This article reports on the synthesis and characterization of the properties of ceramic powders and aerogels of rare earths using the Sc2O3:Eu2O3 system synthesized through the sol-gel method, as well as on the toxicological effects of the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay (CBMC). A sol-gel variant using epoxide-assisted gelling and supercritical CO2 drying was employed to produce the aerogels. In vitro CBMCs were employed to assess the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of the materials' dosages and inherent properties. The morphology of the powders and aerogels consisted of agglomerates of irregularly shaped particles. At the same time, structural analysis revealed crystal sizes of 16 and 10 nm, respectively, for the ceramic powders and aerogels, in which microplastic deformations were observed. The cubic crystalline structure of the Sc2O3:Eu2O3 system remained unchanged. However, applying CBMC and observing the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of the nanoparticles revealed that the main genotoxic xenobiotic agent was the aerogel. The primary mode of cellular death was necrosis, suggesting that reactive oxygen species might have been involved in the genotoxic and cytotoxic damage.