Free Radicals Generated in Perfluorocarbon–Water (Liquid–Liquid) Interfacial Contact Electrification and Their Application in Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Electron transfer during solid−liquid contact electrification has been demonstrated to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals ( • OH) and superoxide anion radicals ( • O 2 − ). Here, we show that such a process also occurs in liquid−liquid contact electrification. By preparing perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions to construct a perfluorocarbon− water "liquid−liquid" interface, we confirmed that electrons were transferred from water to perfluorocarbon in ultrasonicationinduced high-frequency liquid−liquid contact to produce • OH and • O 2 − . The produced ROS could be applied to ablate tumors by triggering large-scale immunogenic cell death in tumor cells, promoting dendritic cell maturation and macrophage polarization, ultimately activating T cell-mediated antitumor immune response. Importantly, the raw material for producing • OH is water, so the tumor therapy is not limited by the endogenous substances (O 2 , H 2 O 2 , etc.) in the tumor microenvironment. This work provides new perspectives for elucidating the mechanism of generation of free radicals in liquid−liquid contact and provides an excellent tumor therapeutic modality.