NATURAL CLINOPTILOLITE PARTICLES DOPED WITH IONS OF TRANSITION METALS SUITABLE FOR TRAPPING CELLS AND MACROMOLECULS

Samples with luminescent properties are of interest for research purposes. Series of clinoptilolite samples doped with mono-, di-, and trivalent metal cations were analyzed in order to compare the biological effects of its doping with silver cations and other metals, in particular REE, on substrate-dependent (attached to surface) mammalian cells with different degree of the neoplastic transformation, as well as regarding the bacterial cells. The goal of the study was to obtain samples of clinoptilolite doped with REE cations suitable (low cytotoxicity) for interaction with cellular units in a liquid microenvironment. It was shown that luminescent REE (the most intense effects were observed in the case of Tb3+ [1] and Er3+) that were present in the zeolite structure changed their spectral characteristics upon interaction/binding with cellular units. That allowed real-time monitoring of their interaction via detection of luminescence (change in intensity level and appearance of new peaks). Luminescently active samples with a low cytotoxic effect were obtained, with an exception of silver-doped samples that were used to compare REE-dopped clinoptilolites with different properties (biotolerant or cytostatic), in relation to bacterial, yeast and mammalian cells with different levels of neoplastic transformation [1–3]. It was found that the order of magnitude increase in emission intensity in the long-wave spectrum region took place in case of erbium application. This phenomenon will be studied in our further research. The obtained results are the basis for the creation and manufacture of systems for separation or capture of biological (cell and macromolecules) units in technological devices for cleaning and conditioning liquids. In particular, there are significant prospects for the use of the obtained samples of clinoptiolites doped with REE for the further development of working surfaces for the immobilization of functional determinants (for example, recombinant enzymes) at the creation of medical equipment.