Methylene Blue-Fortified Molybdenum Trioxide Nanoparticles: Harnessing Radical Scavenging Property

A hybrid nanosystem with impeccable cellular imaging and antioxidant functionality is demonstrated. The microwave irradiation-derived molybdenum trioxide nanoparticles (MoO₃ NPs) were surface-functionalized with the cationic dye molecule, methylene blue (MB), which enables superior UV-visible absorbance and fluorescence emission wavelengths potential for bioimaging. The radical scavenging property of the pristine MoO₃ NPs and MoO₃-MB NPs were studied in vivo using Caenorhabditis elegans as the model system. Heat shock-induced oxidative stress in C. elegans was significantly resolved by the MoO₃-MB NPs, in agreement with the in vitro radical scavenging study by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hybrid nanostructures of MoO₃-MB demonstrate synergistic benefits in intracellular imaging with intrinsic biocompatibility and antioxidant behavior, which can facilitate application as advanced healthcare materials toward bioimaging and clinical therapeutics.