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.