Nearly free silanols drive the interaction of crystalline silica polymorphs with membranes: Implications for mineral toxicity.

ABSTRACT: Crystalline silica (CS) is a well-known hazardous material that causes severe diseases including silicosis, lung cancer, and autoimmune diseases. However, the hazard associated to crystalline silica is extremely variable and depends on some specific characteristics, including crystal structure and surface chemistry. The crystalline silica polymorphs share the SiO₂ stoichiometry and differentiate for crystal structure. The different crystal lattices in turn expose differently ordered hydroxyl groups at the crystal surface, i.e., the silanols. The nearly free silanols (NFS), a specific population of weakly interacting silanols, have been recently advanced as the key surface feature that governs recognition mechanisms between quartz and cell membrane, initiating toxicity. We showed

SUBMITTER: Pavan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9884702 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature