No abstract

Despite the unique ability of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to convert near-infrared (NIR) light to high-energy UV−vis radiation, low quantum efficiency has rendered their application unpractical in biomedical fields. Here, we report anatase titania-coated plasmonic gold nanorods decorated with UCNPs (Au NR@aTiO 2 @UCNPs) for combinational photothermal and photodynamic therapy to treat cancer. Our novel architecture employs the incorporation of an anatase titanium dioxide (aTiO 2 ) photosensitizer as a spacer and exploits the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of the Au core. The LSPR-derived near-field enhancement induces a threefold boost of upconversion emissions, which are re-absorbed by neighboring aTiO 2 and Au nanocomponents. Photocatalytic experiments strongly infer that LSPR-induced hot electrons are injected into the conduction band of aTiO 2 , generating reactive oxygen species. As phototherapeutic agents, our hybrid nanostructures show remarkable in vitro anticancer effect under NIR light [28.0% cancer cell viability against Au NR@aTiO 2 (77.3%) and UCNP@aTiO 2 (98.8%)] ascribed to the efficient radical formation and LSPR-induced heat generation, with cancer cell death primarily following an apoptotic pathway. In vivo animal studies further confirm the tumor suppression ability of Au NR@aTiO 2 @UCNPs through combinatorial photothermal and photodynamic effect. Our hybrid nanomaterials emerge as excellent multifunctional phototherapy agents, providing a valuable addition to light-triggered cancer treatments in deep tissue.

We report a distinct method for the production of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite (OIHP) nanostructures using block copolymer micelles as scaffolds.