Affiliation: | 1. Center for AIE Research, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China;2. Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077 China;3. Center for AIE Research, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China;4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, SUSTech Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, 518055 China;5. Center for AIE Research, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China |
Abstract: | Inspired by the respective advantages of aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active photosensitizers and black phosphorus nanomaterials in cancer treatment, the facile construction of novel AIE photosensitizers married to 2D black phosphorus nanosheets and their application for multimodal theranostics are demonstrated. The developed nanomaterial simultaneously possesses distinctive properties and multiple functions including excellent stability, good biocompatibility, intensive fluorescence emission in the NIR region, high-performance reactive oxygen species generation, good photothermal conversion efficiency, outstanding cellular uptake, and effective accumulation at the tumor site. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluation show that the presented nanotheranostic system is an excellent candidate for NIR fluorescence–photothermal dual imaging-guided synergistic photodynamic–photothermal therapies. This study thus not only extends the applications scope of AIE and black phosphorus materials, but also offers useful insights into designing a new generation of cancer theranostic protocol for potential clinical applications. |