WS2 nanosheet as a new photosensitizer carrier for combined photodynamic and photothermal therapy of cancer cells

Yuan Yong; Liangjun Zhou; Zhanjun Gu; Liang Yan; Gan Tian; Xiaopeng Zheng; Xiaodong Liu; Xiao Zhang; Junxin Shi; Wenshu Cong; Wenyan Yin; Yuliang Zhao

doi:10.1039/C4NR02453B

WS₂ nanosheet as a new photosensitizer carrier for combined photodynamic and photothermal therapy of cancer cells†

Yuan Yong,‡^a Liangjun Zhou,‡^ac Zhanjun Gu,*^a Liang Yan,^a Gan Tian,^ad Xiaopeng Zheng,^ac Xiaodong Liu,^e Xiao Zhang,^ab Junxin Shi,^af Wenshu Cong,^a Wenyan Yin*^a and Yuliang Zhao*^ab

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* Corresponding authors

^a Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R.China
E-mail: zjgu@ihep.ac.cn, zhaoyuliang@ihep.ac.cn, yinwy@ihep.ac.cn

^b Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanosciences and Technology of China, Beijing, P. R. China

^c College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China

^d College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China

^e College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, P. R. China

^f Department of Material Physics & Chemistry, College of Materials Science & Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, P. R. China

Abstract

We have developed a simple and efficient strategy to fabricate WS₂ nanosheets with low toxicity and good water solubility via a liquid exfoliation method by using H₂SO₄ intercalation and ultrasonication. The as-prepared WS₂ nanosheets were employed not only as an NIR absorbing agent for photothermal therapy (PTT) but also as a photosensitizer (PS) carrier for photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to their sheet like structure that offers large surface area to load PS molecules. Moreover, singlet-oxygen generation of the PSs–WS₂ complex could be finely controlled by NIR irradiation that could manipulate the PSs release behavior from WS₂ nanosheets. The synergistic anti-tumor effect of WS₂ nanosheets mediated PDT–PTT was also evaluated carefully and the results clearly showed that the efficacy of combined PDT–PTT treatment of cancer cells is significantly higher than those of PDT-only and PTT-only treatment, indicating enhanced efficiency of the combined therapeutic system. In addition, the WS₂ could be used as a computed tomography (CT) contrast agent for bio-imaging since W atoms have strong X-ray attenuation ability, making them a multifunctional theranostic platform for simultaneous imaging-guided diagnosis and therapy.

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WS₂ nanosheet as a new photosensitizer carrier for combined photodynamic and photothermal therapy of cancer cells†

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WS₂ nanosheet as a new photosensitizer carrier for combined photodynamic and photothermal therapy of cancer cells

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