Precision Atomistic Structures of Actinium-/Radium-/Barium-Doped Lanthanide Nanoconstructs for Radiotherapeutic Applications

Lanthanide vanadate (LnVO₄) nanoconstructs have generated considerable interest in radiotherapeutic applications as a medium for nanoscale-targeted drug delivery. For cancer treatment, LnVO₄ nanoconstructs have shown promise in encapsulating and retaining radionuclides that emit alpha-particles. In this work, we examined the structure formation of LnVO₄ nanoconstructs doped with actinium (Ac) and radium (Ra), both experimentally and using large-scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. LnVO₄ nanoconstructs were synthesized via a precipitation method in aqueous media. The reaction conditions and elemental compositions were varied to control the structure, fluorescence properties, and size distribution of the LnVO₄ nanoconstructs. LnVO₄ nanoconstructs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to obtain a fundamental understanding of the structure-property relationship between radionuclides and LnVO₄ nanoconstructs at the atomic length scale. Molecular dynamics simulations with well-established force field (FF) parameters show that Ra atoms tend to distribute across the nanoconstructs' surface in a broader coordination shell, while the Ac atoms are arranged inside a smaller coordination shell within the nanocluster. The Ba atoms prefer to self-assemble around the surface. These theoretical/simulation predictions of the atomistic structures and an understanding of the relationship between radionuclides and LnVO₄ nanoconstructs at the atomic scale are important because they provide design principles for the future development of nanoconstructs for targeted radionuclide delivery.