Algae Extraction Controllable Delamination of Vanadium Carbide Nanosheets with Enhanced Near‐Infrared Photothermal Performance

The two‐dimensional (2D) vanadium carbide (V₂C) MXene has shown great potential as a photothermal agent (PTA) for photothermal therapy (PTT). However, the use of V₂C in PTT is limited by the harsh synthesis condition and low photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE). Herein, we report a completely different green delamination method using algae extraction to intercalate and delaminate V₂AlC to produce mass V₂C nanosheets (NSs) with a high yield (90 %). The resulting V₂C NSs demonstrated good structural integrity and remarkably high absorption in near infrared (NIR) region with a PTCE as high as 48 %. Systemic in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that the V₂C NSs can serve as efficient PTA for photoacoustic (PA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided PTT of cancer. This work provides a cost‐effective, environment‐friendly, and high‐yielding disassembly approach of MAX, opening a new avenue to develop MXenes with desirable properties for a myriad of applications.     

Antimonene Quantum Dots: Synthesis and Application as Near‐Infrared Photothermal Agents for Effective Cancer Therapy

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has shown significant potential for cancer therapy. However, developing nanomaterials (NMs)‐based photothermal agents (PTAs) with satisfactory photothermal conversion efficacy (PTCE) and biocompatibility remains a key challenge. Herein, a new generation of PTAs based on two‐dimensional (2D) antimonene quantum dots (AMQDs) was developed by a novel liquid exfoliation method. Surface modification of AMQDs with polyethylene glycol (PEG) significantly enhanced both biocompatibility and stability in physiological medium. The PEG‐coated AMQDs showed a PTCE of 45.5 %, which is higher than many other NMs‐based PTAs such as graphene, Au, MoS₂, and black phosphorus (BP). The AMQDs‐based PTAs also exhibited a unique feature of NIR‐induced rapid degradability. Through both in vitro and in vivo studies, the PEG‐coated AMQDs demonstrated notable NIR‐induced tumor ablation ability. This work is expected to expand the utility of 2D antimonene (AM) to biomedical applications through the development of an entirely novel PTA platform.     

Natural Polyphenol–Vanadium Oxide Nanozymes for Synergistic Chemodynamic/Photothermal Therapy

The selection of suitable nanozymes with easy synthesis, tumor specificity, multifunction, and high therapeutics is meaningful for tumor therapy. Herein, a facile one-step assembly approach was employed to successfully prepare a novel kind of natural polyphenol tannic acid (TA) hybrid with mixed valence vanadium oxide nanosheets (TA@VO_x NSs). In this system, VO_x is assembled with TA through metal–phenolic coordination interaction to both introduce superior peroxidase-like activity and high near infrared (NIR) absorption owing to partial reduction of vanadium from V⁵⁺ to V⁴⁺. The presence of mixed valence vanadium oxide in TA@VO_x NSs is proved to be the key for the catalytic reaction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to ^. OH, and the corresponding catalytic mechanism of H₂O₂ by TA@VO_x NSs is proposed. Benefitting from such peroxidase-like activity of TA@VO_x NSs, the overproduced H₂O₂ of the tumor microenvironment allows the realization of tumor-specific chemodynamic therapy (CDT). As a valid supplement to CDT, the NIR absorption enables TA@VO_x NSs to have NIR light-mediated conversion ability for photothermal therapy (PTT) of cancers. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that TA@VO_x NSs can effectively inhibit the growth of tumors by synergistic CDT/PTT. These results offer a promising way to develop novel vanadium oxide-based nanozymes for enhanced synergistic tumor-specific treatment.     

D-A-D structured selenadiazolesbenzothiadiazole-based near-infrared dye for enhanced photoacoustic imaging and photothermal cancer therapy

Near-infrared (NIR) small molecular organic dyes as photothermal agents for cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) have attracted considerable research attention. Herein, two donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) structured NIR dyes, BBTT and SeBTT, are rationally designed, where the only difference is one heteroatom within the acceptor unit varying from sulfur to selenium (Se). More importantly, SeBTT NPs exhibit stronger NIR absorbance and higher photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE ≈ 65.3%). In vivo experiments illustrate that SeBTT NPs can be utilized as a high contrast photoacoustic imaging (PAI) agent, and succeed in tumor suppression without noticeable damage to main organs under NIR photoirradiation. This study presents an effective molecular heteroatom surgery strategy to regulate the photothermal properties of NIR small molecules for enhanced PAI and PTT.     

Design of Silica@Au Hybrid Nanostars for Enhanced SERS and Photothermal Effect

Core-shell nanostructures of silicon oxide@noble metal have drawn a lot of interest due to their distinctive characteristics and minimal toxicity with remarkable biocompatibility. Due to the unique property of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), plasmonic nanoparticles are being used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based detection of pollutants and photothermal (PT) agents in cancer therapy. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of multifunctional silica core – Au nanostars shell (SiO₂@Au NSs) nanostructures using surfactant free aqueous phase method. The SERS performance of the as-synthesized anisotropic core-shell NSs was examined using Rhodamine B (RhB) dye as a Raman probe and resulted in strong enhancement factor of 1.37×10⁶. Furthermore, SiO₂@Au NSs were also employed for PT killing of breast cancer cells and they exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in the photothermal effect. The SiO₂@Au NSs show remarkable photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 72 % which is unprecedented. As an outcome, our synthesized NIR active SiO₂@Au NSs are of pivotal importance to have their dual applications in SERS enhancement and PT effect.     

Photothermal performance of MFe2O4 nanoparticles

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has emerged as one of the promising cancer therapy approaches. As a representative photothermal agent (PTA), magnetite possesses many advantages such as biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, photothermal instability hampers its further application. Herein, we systematically synthesized three kinds of ferrite nanoparticles and detailedly investigated their photothermal effect. Compared with Fe₃O₄ and MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles exhibited a superior photothermal effect. After preservation for 70 days, the photothermal effect of Fe₃O₄ and MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles observably declined while ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles showed slight decrease. Furthermore, in vitro experiment, ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles showed little toxicity to cells and achieved outstanding effect in killing cancer cells under NIR laser irradiation. Overall, through synthesizing and studying three kinds of ferrite MFe₂O₄ nanoparticles, we obtained ferrites as PTAs and learned about their changing trend in photothermal effect, expecting it can inspire further exploration of photothermal agents.     

Ag@TiO2 Nanoprisms with Highly Efficient Near‐Infrared Photothermal Conversion for Melanoma Therapy

Melanoma is a primary reason of death from skin cancer and associated with high lethality. Photothermal therapy (PTT) has been developed into a powerful cancer treatment technique in recent years. Here, we created a low‐cost and high‐performance PTT agent, Ag@TiO₂ NPs, which possesses a high photothermal conversion efficiency of ≈65 % and strong near‐infrared (NIR) absorption about 808 nm. Ag NPs were synthesized using a two‐step method and coated with TiO₂ to obtain Ag@TiO₂ NPs by a facile sol‐gel method. Because of the oxide, Ag@TiO₂ NPs exhibit remarkable high photothermal conversion efficiencies and biocompatibility in vivo and in vitro. Cytotoxicity and therapeutic efficiency of photothermal cytotoxicity of Ag@TiO₂ NPs were tested in B16‐F10 cells and C57BL/6J mice. Under light irradiation, the elevated temperature causes cell death in Ag NPs‐treated (100 μg mL^?1) cells in vitro (both p<0.01). In the case of subcutaneous melanoma tumor model, Ag@TiO₂ NPs (100 μg mL^?1) were injected into the tumor and irradiated with a 808 nm laser of 2 W cm^?2 for 1 minute. As a consequence, the tumor volume gradually decreased by NIR laser irradiation with only a single treatment. The results demonstrate that Ag@TiO₂ NPs are biocompatible and an attractive photothermal agent for cutaneous melanoma by local delivery.     

Portable multi-amplified temperature sensing for tumor exosomes based on MnO2/IR780 nanozyme with high photothermal effect and oxidase-like activity

Efficient determination of tumor exosomes using portable devices is crucial for the establishment of facile and convenient early cancer diagnostic methods. However, it is still challenging to effectively amplify the detection signal to achieve tumor exosomes detection with high sensitivity by portable devices. To address this issue, we developed a portable multi-amplified temperature sensing strategy for highly sensitive detecting tumor exosomes based on multifunctional manganese dioxide/IR780 nanosheets (MnO₂/IR780 NSs) nanozyme with high oxidase-like activity and enhanced photothermal performance. Inspiringly, MnO₂/IR780 NSs were synthesized via a facile one-step method with mild experimental conditions, which not only exhibited a stronger photothermal effect than that of MnO₂ but also showed excellent oxidase-like activity that can catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate TMB oxide (oxTMB) with a robust photothermal property, thus conjoining with MnO₂/IR780 NSs to further enhance the temperature signal. The present assay enables highly sensitive determination of tumor exosomes with the detection limit down to 5.1 × 10³ particles/mL, which was comparable or superior to those of the most previously reported sensors. Furthermore, detection of tumor exosomes spiked in biological samples was successfully realized. More importantly, our method showed the recommendable portability, robust applicability, and easy manipulation. By taking advantages of these features, this high-performance photothermal sensor offered a promising alternative means for nondestructive early cancer diagnosis and treatment efficacy evaluation.     

A pH-responsive ultrathin Cu-based nanoplatform for specific photothermal and chemodynamic synergistic therapy

Noninvasive tumor therapy requires a new generation of bionanomaterials towards sensitive response to the unique tumor microenvironment to achieve accurate and effective treatment. Herein, we have developed a tumor therapy nanoplatform by immobilizing natural glucose oxidase (GOD) onto Cu-based layered double hydroxide (CuFe-LDH) nanosheets, which for the first time integrates acid-enhanced photothermal therapy (PTT), and pH-responsive and heat-facilitated chemodynamic therapy (CDT) simultaneously. As demonstrated by EXAFS and HRTEM, CuFe-LDH nanosheets possess a considerable number of defects caused by different acid conditions, resulting in a significantly acid-enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency (83.2% at pH 5.4 vs. 46.0% at pH 7.4). Moreover, GOD/CuFe-LDH nanosheets can convert a cascade of glucose into hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) under tumor acid conditions, which is validated by a high maximum velocity (V_max = 2.00 × 10⁻⁷ M) and low Michaelis–Menten constant (K_M = 12.01 mM). With the combination of PTT and CDT, the tumor tissue in vivo is almost eliminated with low-dose drug injection (1 mg kg⁻¹). Therefore, this novel pH-responsive Cu-based nanoplatform holds great promise in tumor-specific CDT/PTT synergistic therapy.

A pH-responsive multifunctional nanosystem was synthesized by loading glucose oxidase (GOD) onto CuFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets, which exhibited synchronous acid-enhanced/responsive photothermal and chemodynamic synergistic therapy.     

Chitosan coated molybdenum sulphide nanosheet incorporated with tantalum oxide nanomaterials for improving cancer photothermal therapy

In recent years, two-dimensional nanomaterials (2D) prominent for site specific photothermal treatment (PTT), which are one of the most interesting strategy due to their maximizing cancer cell killing efficiency without the normal cells. Several robust methods are established for 2D material synthesis and improving the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), biocompatibility, and photostability in cancer PTT. Such preferred mechanism like nanomaterial decoration on to their surface would enable access to tunable 2D nanomaterial properties to improve cancer PTT. Here, we first time report a robust route for deposition of tantalum (TaO₂) on to chitosan (CS) coated molybdenum sulphite (MoS₂) nanosheet surface via electrostatic interaction, which assists to improve cancer PTT efficiency. Detailed studies prove that prepared TaO₂-CS-MoS₂ nanomaterial shows lack of toxicity, photostability and PCE was calculated from 26 °C to 47.2 °C under the 808 nm irradiation/5 min. Therefore, the TaO₂ deposition particularly interest to promote the photostability, biocompatibility and PCE of bare MoS₂ nanosheets. Therefore, the possible mechanism is highly expected to improve biological features in cancer PTT.     

Gas-Mediated Tumor Energy Remodeling for Sensitizing Mild Photothermal Therapy

The metabolic reprogramming of tumors requires high levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to maintain therapeutic resistance, posing a major challenge for photothermal therapy (PTT). Although raising the temperature helps in tumor ablation, it frequently leads to severe side effects. Therefore, improving the therapeutic response and promoting healing are critical considerations in the development of PTT. Here, we proposed a gas-mediated energy remodeling strategy to improve mild PTT efficacy while minimizing side effects. In the proof-of-concept study, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug-based hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) donor was developed to provide a sustained supply of H₂S to tumor sites, serving as an adjuvant to PTT. This approach proved to be highly effective in disrupting the mitochondrial respiratory chain, inhibiting ATP generation, and reducing the overexpression of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), which ultimately amplified the therapeutic outcome. With the ability to reverse tumor thermotolerance, this strategy delivered a greatly potent antitumor response, achieving complete tumor ablation in a single treatment while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Thus, it holds great promise to be a universal solution for overcoming the limitations of PTT and may serve as a valuable paradigm for the future clinical translation of photothermal nanoagents.     

Graphene nanoribbon-based supramolecular ensembles with dual-receptor targeting function for targeted photothermal tumor therapy

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most malignant subtypes of breast cancer. Here, we report the construction of graphene nanoribbon (GNR)-based supramolecular ensembles with dual-receptor (mannose and α_vβ₃ integrin receptors) targeting function, denoted as GNR-Man/PRGD, for targeted photothermal treatment (PTT) of TNBC. The GNR-Man/PRGD ensembles were constructed through the solution-based self-assembly of mannose-grafted GNRs (GNR-Man) with a pyrene-tagged α_vβ₃ integrin ligand (PRGD). Enhanced PTT efficacies were achieved both in vitro and in vivo compared to that of the non-targeting equivalents. Tumor-bearing live mice were administered (tail vein) with GNR-Man/PRGD and then each mice group was subjected to PTT. Remarkably, GNR-Man/PRGD induced complete ablation of the solid tumors, and no tumor regrowth was observed over a period of 15 days. This study demonstrates a new and promising platform for the development of photothermal nanomaterials for targeted tumor therapy.

Dual receptor-targeting supramolecular glycomaterials are constructed based on graphene nanoribbons for the targeted photothermal therapy of triple-negative breast cancer in vivo.     

A Photoinduced Nonadiabatic Decay-Guided Molecular Motor Triggers Effective Photothermal Conversion for Cancer Therapy

It remains highly challenging to identify small molecule-based photothermal agents with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE). Herein, we adopt a double bond-based molecular motor concept to develop a new class of small photothermal agents to break the current design bottleneck. As the double-bond is twisted by strong twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) upon irradiation, the excited agents can deactivate non-radiatively through the conical intersection (CI) of internal conversion, which is called photoinduced nonadiabatic decay. Such agents possess a high PTCE of 90.0 %, facilitating low-temperature photothermal therapy in the presence of a heat shock protein 70 inhibitor. In addition, the behavior and mechanism of NIR laser-triggered molecular motions for generating heat through the CI pathway have been further understood through theoretical and experimental evidence, providing a design principle for highly efficient photothermal and photoacoustic agents.     

Polydopamine(PDA)-activated cobalt sulfide nanospheres responsive to tumor microenvironment(TME)for chemotherapeutic-enhanced photothermal therapy

Most recently,cobalt sulfide(CoS) nanospheres(NSs) have been demonstrated as an ideal high-efficient photothermal agent for tumor elimination.Howeve r,the surface of CoS NSs is lack of functio nal chemical groups or active radicals to incorporate therapeutic agents,which tremendously hinders their versatile utilization in medical field.Here,surface activation of CoS NSs was realized through the growth of polydopamine(PDA) in situ via alkaline-triggered polymerization.Upon the formation of CoS@PDA NSs,thiol-polyethylene glycol(SH-PEG) and chemotherapeutic agent of doxorubicin(DOX) were loaded onto the particle surface by means of π-π electrostatic interaction and Michael addition reactions.Assynthesized CoS@PDA/PEG/DOX(CoPPD) NSs exhibited an admirable photothermal property and high loading capacity of DOX(44.6%).Furthermore,drug release can be accelerated under a more acidic pH condition mimicking tumor microenvironment(TME),ascribed to the protonation of amino group in DOX molecules.Finally,a strong chemotherapeutic-enhanced photothermal therapeutic effect was demonstrated toward solid tumor under near-infrared(NIR) light irradiation without causing significant systemic toxicity.In this regard,this paradigm may offer valuable guidance for the design of multifunctional CoS-based nanoagents for medical treatment.     

A Water‐Soluble,NIR‐Absorbing Quaterrylenediimide Chromophore for Photoacoustic Imaging and Efficient Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Precision phototheranostics, including photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy, requires stable photothermal agents. Developing such agents with high stability and high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE) remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we introduce a new photothermal agent based on water‐soluble quaterrylenediimide (QDI) that can self‐assemble into nanoparticles (QDI‐NPs) in aqueous solution. Incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) into the QDI core significantly enhances both physiological stability and biocompatibility of QDI‐NPs. The highly photostable QDI‐NPs offer advantages including intense absorption in the near‐infrared (NIR) and high PTCE of up to 64.7±4 %. This is higher than that of commercial indocyanine green (ICG). Their small size (ca. 10 nm) enables sustained retention in deep tumor sites and also proper clearance from the body. QDI‐NPs allow high‐resolution photoacoustic imaging and efficient 808 nm laser‐triggered photothermal therapy of cancer in vivo.     

A Water‐Soluble,NIR‐Absorbing Quaterrylenediimide Chromophore for Photoacoustic Imaging and Efficient Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Precision phototheranostics, including photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy, requires stable photothermal agents. Developing such agents with high stability and high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE) remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we introduce a new photothermal agent based on water‐soluble quaterrylenediimide (QDI) that can self‐assemble into nanoparticles (QDI‐NPs) in aqueous solution. Incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) into the QDI core significantly enhances both physiological stability and biocompatibility of QDI‐NPs. The highly photostable QDI‐NPs offer advantages including intense absorption in the near‐infrared (NIR) and high PTCE of up to 64.7±4 %. This is higher than that of commercial indocyanine green (ICG). Their small size (ca. 10 nm) enables sustained retention in deep tumor sites and also proper clearance from the body. QDI‐NPs allow high‐resolution photoacoustic imaging and efficient 808 nm laser‐triggered photothermal therapy of cancer in vivo.     

A Photoinduced Nonadiabatic Decay‐Guided Molecular Motor Triggers Effective Photothermal Conversion for Cancer Therapy

It remains highly challenging to identify small molecule‐based photothermal agents with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE). Herein, we adopt a double bond‐based molecular motor concept to develop a new class of small photothermal agents to break the current design bottleneck. As the double‐bond is twisted by strong twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) upon irradiation, the excited agents can deactivate non‐radiatively through the conical intersection (CI) of internal conversion, which is called photoinduced nonadiabatic decay. Such agents possess a high PTCE of 90.0 %, facilitating low‐temperature photothermal therapy in the presence of a heat shock protein 70 inhibitor. In addition, the behavior and mechanism of NIR laser‐triggered molecular motions for generating heat through the CI pathway have been further understood through theoretical and experimental evidence, providing a design principle for highly efficient photothermal and photoacoustic agents.     

A Multifunctional Biomaterial with NIR Long Persistent Phosphorescence,Photothermal Response and Magnetism

There are many reports on long persistent phosphors (LPPs) applied in bioimaging. However, there are few reports on LPPs applied in photothermal therapy (PTT), and an integrated system with multiple functions of diagnosis and therapy. In this work, we fabricate effective multifunctional phosphors Zn₃Ga₂SnO₈: Cr³⁺, Nd³⁺, Gd³⁺ with NIR persistent phosphorescence, photothermal response and magnetism. Such featured materials can act as NIR optical biolabels and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents for tracking the early cancer cells, but also as photothermal therapeutic agent for killing the cancer cells. This new multifunctional biomaterial is expected to open a new possibility of setting up an advanced imaging‐guided therapy system featuring a high resolution for bioimaging and low side effects for the photothermal ablation of tumors.     

Self-enhanced photothermal-chemodynamic antibacterial agents for synergistic anti-infective therapy

Cu_2-xS nanostructures have been intensively studied as outstanding chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and good photothermal therapy (PTT) antibacterial agents due to their highly efficient Cu(Ⅰ)-initiated Fenton-like catalytic activity and good photothermal conversion property. However, they still suffer from shortage of Cu(Ⅰ) supply in the long-term and comparatively low inherent photothermal conversion efficiency. Herein, we constructed a self-enhanced synergistic PTT/CDT nanoplatform (Cu_1.94S@MPN) by coating Cu_1.94S nanoparticles with Fe(Ⅲ)/tannic acid based metal-polyphenol networks (MPN). Activated by the acidic bacterial infection microenvironment, Cu_1.94S@MPN could be decomposed to continuously release Cu(Ⅱ), Fe(Ⅲ) ions and tannic acid. As the result of tannic acid-involved Cu and Fe redox cycling, Cu(Ⅰ)/Fe(Ⅱ)-rich CDT could be achieved through the highly accelerated catalytic Fenton/Fenton-like reactions. More importantly, experimental results demonstrated that Cu_1.94S@MPN exhibited both excellent photothermal antibacterial and photothermal-enhanced CDT properties to eradicate bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this novel nanotherapeutics has great potential to become a clinic candidate for anti-infective therapy in future.     

Linker‐free Gold Nanoparticle Superstructure Coated with Poly(dopamine) by Site‐Specific Polymerization for Amplifying Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Although linker‐free Au nanoparticle superstructures (AuNPSTs) have demonstrated to have satisfactory photothermal conversion efficiency owing to their enhanced visible‐near‐infrared absorption caused by the interparticle coupling, they cannot be used directly for in vivo photothermal therapy (PTT) of cancer because of poor stability. To address this issue, we herein propose a polymer‐coating strategy, dressing AuNPST on a poly(dopamine) (PDA) coat, and successfully investigate the in vivo PTT effect of AuNPSTs. By employing Triton X‐100 as an emulsifier for the formation of AuNPSTs, dopamine was site‐specifically polymerized around each AuNPST by the interaction between ?OH of Triton X‐100 and ?NH₂ of dopamine. As‐fabricated AuNPST/PDA has a sphere‐like shape with an average diameter of ～106 nm and the PDA shell is about 10 nm PDA thick. The AuNPST/PDA shows enhanced durability to heat, acid, and alkali compared with bare AuNPST. Also, under 808 nm laser irradiation, AuNPST/PDA shows photothermal conversion efficiency of ～33%, higher than bare AuNPST (～23%). Significantly, AuNPST/PDA can be used as in‐vitro and in‐vivo PTT agent and shows excellent therapeutic efficacy for tumor ablation thanks to its enhanced stability and biocompatibility, indicative of its potential practicability in clinical PTT.