Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.57, No.9, 4864-4876, 2018
Multifunctional Theranostic Nanoplatform Based on Fe-mTa(2)O(5)@CuS-ZnPc/PCM for Bimodal Imaging and Synergistically Enhanced Phototherapy
Multifunctional nanotheranostic agent with high performance for tumor site-specific generation of singlet oxygen (O-1(2)) as well as imaging-guidance is crucial to laser-mediated photodynamic therapy. Here, we introduced a versatile strategy to design a smart nanoplatform using phase change material (PCM) to encapsulate photosensitizer (zinc phthalocyanine, ZnPc) in copper sulfide loaded Fe-doped tantalum oxide (Fe-mTa(2)O(5)@CuS) nano particles. When irradiated by 808 nm laser, the PCM is melted due to the hyperthermia effect from CuS nanoparticles, inducing the release of ZnPc to produce toxic O-1(2) triggered by 650 nm light with very low power density (5 mW/cm(2)). Then, the produced heat and toxic O-1(2) can kill tumor cells in vitro and in vivo effectively. Furthermore, the special properties of Fe-mTa(2)O(5) endow the nanoplatform with excellent computed tomography (CT) and T-1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T-1-MRI) performance for guiding and real-time monitoring of therapeutic effect. This work presents a feasible way to design smart nanoplatform for controllable generation of heat and O-1(2), achieving CT/T1-MR1 dual-modal imaging-guided phototherapy.