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The development of injectable self-healing adhesive hydrogel dressings with excellent bactericidal activity and wound healing ability is urgently in demand for combating biofilm infections. Herein, a multifunctional hydrogel (QP/QT-MB) with near-infrared (NIR) light-activated mild photothermal/gaseous antimicrobial activity was developed based on the dynamic reversible borate bonds and hydrogen bonds crosslinking between quaternization chitosan (QCS) derivatives alternatively containing phenylboronic acid and catechol-like moieties in conjunction with the in situ encapsulation of BNN6-loaded mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA@BNN6 NPs). Given the dynamic reversible cross-linking feature, the versatile hybrid hydrogel exhibited injectability, flexibility, and rapid self-healing ability. The numerous phenylboronic acid and catechol-like moieties on the QCS backbone confer the hydrogel with specific bacterial affinity, desirable tissue adhesion, and antioxidant stress ability that enhance bactericidal activity and facilitate the regeneration of infection wounds. Under NIR irradiation, the QP/QT-MB hydrogels exhibited a desirable mild photothermal effect and NIR-activity controllable NO delivery, combined with the endogenous contact antimicrobial activity of hydrogel, contributing jointly to induce dispersal of biofilms and disruption of the bacterial plasma membranes, ultimately leading to bacteria inactivation and biofilm elimination. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the fabricated QP/QT-MB hydrogel platform was capable of inducing efficient eradication of the S. aureus biofilm in a severely infected wound model and accelerating infected wound repair by promoting collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and suppressing inflammatory responses. Additionally, the QP/QT-MB hydrogel demonstrated excellent biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, the hydrogel (QP/QT-MB) reveals great potential application prospects as a promising alternative in the field of biofilm-associated infection treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal complexes have shown promise as photosensitizers for cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. However, the vast majority of metal photosensitizers are not ideal and associated with several limitations including pharmacokinetic limitations, off-target toxicity, fast systemic clearance, poor membrane permeability, and hypoxic tumour microenvironments. Metal complex functionalized nanomaterials have the potential to construct multifunctional systems, which not only overcome the above defects of metal complexes but are also conducive to modulating the tumour microenvironment (TME) and employing combination therapies to boost photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy. In this review, we first introduce the current challenges of photodynamic therapy and summarize the recent research strategies (such as metal coordination bonds, self-assembly, π–π stacking, physisorption, and so on) used for preparing metal complexes functionalized nanomaterials in the application of PDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content at the tumor site is one of the effective strategies to promote intracellular oxidative stress and improve therapeutic efficiency. Herein, an atomically precise cinnamaldehyde-derived metal–organic Cu(I) complex (denoted as DC-OD-Cu) was rationally constructed. DC-OD-Cu could preferentially accumulate in the mitochondria of HeLa cells due to the mitochondria-targeting ability of triphenylphosphine, which was accompanied by the generation of large amounts of highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) via Cu(I)-mediated Fenton-like reactions. Meanwhile, greater ROS generation jointly results in mitochondrial damage under white LED light irradiation. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo results suggested that DC-OD-Cu possesses favorable cytotoxicity and inhibits tumor growth. We believe that this research might provide a controllable strategy to construct multifunctional metal organic complexes for ROS-involved CDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an injectable multifunctional hydrogel with tumor therapy, antibacterial treatment and wound healing properties is essential for simultaneously eradicating melanoma and promoting wound healing of tumor-initiated skin defects. Herein, iron ion-doped polyaniline (PANI(Fe)) tethered with guar gum (GG) chains is employed for the first time as a building unit for constructing a superior hydrogel (GG@PANI(Fe)-borax) crosslinked by borate/didiol bonds. Due to the dynamic and reversible properties of boronate ester bonds, the GG@PANI(Fe)-borax hydrogels had convenient injectability, rapid self-healing ability, and reversible gel–sol transformations under thermal- or pH-stimuli. More importantly, they took advantage of the second near-infrared (NIR-II) responsive photothermal conversion capability, accompanied by the photothermal-enhanced high cytotoxic ˙OH generation in the H2O2-enriched tumor microenvironment induced by iron-doped PANI. The as-prepared hydrogels exhibited excellent photothermal effects and controllable NIR-triggered drug release, leading to distinctly synergistic photothermal/chemodynamic/chemo-therapy effects of melanoma both in vitro (98.2%) and in vivo (98.8%). In addition, the obtained hydrogels also exhibited good anti-bacterial activity (>97.1%) against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria because they were based on PANI(Fe) and borax, which exhibit antibacterial activity. Furthermore, these GG@PANI(Fe)-incorporated scaffolds could improve fibroblast cell proliferation and angiogenesis for accelerating wound repair in tumor-bearing and infected wound mice. Taken together, GG@PANI(Fe)-borax hydrogels may be used simultaneously for eradication of skin-tumor cells, inhibiting infection and accelerating wound healing. This work offers an effective and facile strategy to fabricate an "all-in-one" multifunctional hydrogel platform for synergetic multimodal integrated therapy of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific tumor-responsive capabilities and efficient synergistic therapeutic performance are the keys to effective tumor treatment. Herein, AuNRs@SiO2–RB@MnO2 was developed as a new type of tumor-responsive nanotheranostic for multimodal imaging and synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapy. In AuNRs@SiO2–RB@MnO2, the SiO2 layer wraps the AuNRs, providing light absorption in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region. The SiO2 layer also adsorbs the MnO2 nanosheets, which have Fenton-like activity, resulting in a fluorescent sensing platform based on the fluorescence quenching properties of MnO2 for rhodamine B dye. The fluorescence can be recovered by the consumption of MnO2 by glutathione, which simultaneously produces Mn2+ in the tumor region. The recovery of fluorescence reflects the consumption of glutathione and the increase in Mn2+, which produces hydroxyl radicals via Fenton-like reaction in the tumor microenvironment to realize chemodynamic therapy. Meanwhile, the AuNRs are a good photothermal reagent that can effectively absorb NIR-II light and convert it into heat energy to kill tumor cells via photothermal therapy. The NIR-II absorption performance of the AuNRs provides good photoacoustic imaging and deep photothermal performance, which is favorable for efficient NIR-II photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal therapy. As a result, the AuNRs@SiO2–RB@MnO2 nanotheranostic exhibits outstanding imaging and synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapeutic performance for tumor imaging and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria and lysosomes, as the important subcellular organelles, play vital roles in cell metabolism and physiopathology. However, there is still no general method to precisely regulate the lysosomal and mitochondrial localization behavior of fluorescent probes except by selecting specific targeting groups. Herein, we proposed a pH-induced structure switch (pHISS) strategy to solve this tricky puzzle. For the proof-of-concept, we have rationally designed and synthesized a series of cationic flavylium derivatives FL-1–9 with tunable pH-induced structure switch through adjusting the electron-donating ability of the substituents. As expected, the co-localization imaging experiments revealed that the lysosomal and mitochondrial localization behavior of FL-1–9 dyes is closely related to their pHISS ability. It is noteworthy that FL cationic dyes with strong electron-donors are not prone to pHISS and can be well enriched in mitochondria, while FL cationic dyes with weak electron-donors are highly susceptible to pHISS and display an unusual lysosome-targeting capability. This also provided a feasible strategy for lysosomal localization without basic groups and presented new application options for some flavylium dyes previously thought to be less stable. Furthermore, FL cationic dyes with medium electron-donor exhibit certain localization abilities both in mitochondria and lysosomes. Finally, through a detailed study of pH-induced structure switch and exploiting the pH inertia brought by the strong electron-donors, a novel NIR ratiometric fluorescent probe with large wavelength-shift was constructed for monitoring mitochondrial H2S in living cells, tumor tissues and living mice, highlighting the value of the pHISS strategy in precisely regulating organelle targeting and constructing corresponding organelle targeting probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second near-infrared (NIR-II) window (1000–1350 nm) usually offers further improved light penetration, a higher maximum permissible exposure (MPE), and a lower background signal. Development of NIR-II optical diagnosis and phototherapy technologies is of great significance for precise, efficient tumor therapy. In this work, a new type of Ti-based targeting agent (B-TiO2@SiO2–HA) nanotheranostic system with strong NIR-II absorption was designed and fabricated for the first time. Oxygen vacancies were formed in B-TiO2 and its band gap was narrowed, resulting in nanotheranostic systems with full-spectrum responses to stimulation with light. The experimental results showed that B-TiO2@SiO2–HA not only can enable high NIR-II photothermal conversion and provide excellent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capacity, but also can enable high-resolution photoacoustic imaging (PAI) under NIR-II laser irradiation. Moreover, HA modification gives the nanotheranostic systems the useful ability to target high-CD44-expression tumor cells and tissues. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that B-TiO2@SiO2–HA exhibited a targeted photothermal/photodynamic (PTT/PDT) effect that produced tumor-cell ablation and apoptosis under the guidance of real-time NIR-II PA imaging. B-TiO2@SiO2–HA exhibits precise nanotheranostic potential for PAI-guided tumor-targeting phototherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared fluorophores are emerging as promising molecular tools for cancer theranostics because of their inherent biodegradability, low toxicity, and synthetic flexibility. However, they still suffer from several limitations, such as poor photostability and insufficient organelle-targeting stability during photothermal therapy. In this work, we introduce an "aldehyde functionalization" strategy for simultaneously enhancing photostability and mitochondria-immobilization of near-infrared fluorophores for the first time. Based on the proposed strategy, representative near-infrared organic molecules, namely AF-Cy, were rationally designed and synthesized. Upon aldehyde modification, the AF-Cy dyes displayed both remarkable photostability and mitochondrial-targeting stability. The strong absorption in the near-infrared region confers the AF-Cy dyes with outstanding fluorescent/photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy capabilities. Finally, in vitro and in vivo studies revealed the enhanced performance in inhibiting the growth of breast tumors under NIR laser radiation, and these results suggested the strong potential of AF-Cy dyes as efficient multimodal imaging-guided photothermal therapy agents, further highlighting the value of this simple strategy in the design high performance near-infrared fluorophores for tumor theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cys is a common and important sulfur-containing amino acid in living organisms, whose intracellular level changes are associated with a variety of diseases. To specifically detect Cys without interference from other thiol species has considerable significance. However, only selective fluorescent probes are available for cysteine detection; other thiol species can also have certain interference in the sensing process. Herein, we report an irreversible fluorescent probe for the specific detection of cysteine without interference from other thiol species both in living cells and zebrafish. The FR-NIR-Cys probe exhibits a large emission wavelength shift (up to 84 nm) and a significant ratio fluorescence enhancement (up to 41-fold) in the far-red and near-infrared region. Furthermore, we demonstrate that FR-NIR-Cys with good cell permeability can be employed in the far-red to near-infrared imaging of Cys in living cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) derivatives play critical roles in various biological processes. Therefore, effective methods for monitoring SO2 are of vital importance in bisulfite/sulfite biology. In this study, a two-photon (TP) imaging probe (CQ-SO2) for detecting SO2 derivatives was designed and constructed, based on the chromenoquinoline (CQ) fluorophore and a β-chlorovinyl aldehyde sensing moiety. The TP properties of the CQ derivatives were revealed for the first time in this study. This study enriched the biological application range of CQ derivatives and also provided a new choice for the development of TP dyes. In particular, the CQ-SO2 probe exhibited a fast response time (about 5 s), low detection limit (16 nM) and ultrahigh specificity towards SO2 derivatives. Furthermore, the probe was successfully applied to the highly specific TP bioimaging of SO2 derivatives in living cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of vital importance to engineer the surface structures of carbon dots (CDs) to satisfy their practical biomedical applications, including imaging and treatment. In this work, one type of hyaluronic acid-derived CD (HA-CD) was synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal method using cancer cell-targeted HA as a precursor. The as-prepared HA-CDs were targeted actively toward CD44 receptor-overexpressing cancer cells because a partial HA structure remained on the HA-CD surface. Beyond this, HA-CDs can act as a novel photosensitizer, because they can generate O2Ṗ− under 650 nm laser irradiation, and they also exhibit excellent blue photoluminescence emission. The in vitro results revealed that HA-CDs imaged selectively CD44-overexpressing cancer cells and inhibited their growth under 650 nm laser irradiation. Thus, HA-CDs can serve as a promising self-targeted imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) agent for cancer. The present research provides a promising new method to simply construct multifunctional CD-based targeted phototheranostic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the development of supercharged fluorescent protein modified water-soluble poly(N-phenylglycine) nanoparticles (SPNPG/ScGFP) as a novel nanotheranostic agent with highly effective cell penetration for image-guided photothermal cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of advanced phototherapy systems with high therapeutic efficacy toward cancer and low side effects, especially targeted species, is highly desirable. Herein, we developed one kind of water-soluble hyaluronic acid–hybridized polyaniline nanoparticles (HA–PANI NPs) as a nanoplatform for photothermal therapy (PTT) with targeted specificity of a CD44-mediated cancer cell. The water-soluble HA–PANI NPs were fabricated by one-step oxidative polymerization using aniline as a polymerizable monomer and HA as a stabilizer and targeted agent, where non-covalent electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged polymer HA and the cationic polymer PANI drives the formation of HA–PANI NPs. It was demonstrated that approximately spherical HA–PANI NPs are well-dispersed in aqueous solutions, with average hydrodynamic diameters of around 100 nm. Besides, HA–PANI NPs have negligible cytotoxicity in vitro, which facilitates biomedical applications with low toxicity. We studied the in vitro photothermal cell-killing efficacy of HA–PANI NPs by MTT assay and confocal microscopy measurement. The results reveal that HA–PANI NPs can selectively kill the cancer cells of HeLa and HCT-116 cells rather than normal cells of HFF cells upon exposure to a NIR 808 nm laser. The efficient intracellular intake of the HA–PANI NPs by both HeLa and HCT-116 cells are observed, confirming their targeting ability for CD44-overexpressing cancer cells. Furthermore, the results of in vivo photothermal ablation of tumors show excellent treatment efficacy, indicating that the HA–PANI NPs can be considered as an extremely promising nanoplatform for targeted PTT of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnSe:Mn and core–shell ZnSe:Mn/ZnS doped quantum dots (d-dots) have been synthesized by using the alkylamine–H2Se complex and thiourea as new phosphine-free Se and S precursors, respectively. Absorption spectroscopy, steady-state (solution and solid-state) and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the resulting d-dots. Results showed that Mn2+ was successfully doped and mainly distributed in the middle layer of the actual ZnSe/ZnSe:Mn/ZnSe d-dots and ZnSe/ZnSeS:Mn/ZnS d-dots which were simply referred to as ZnSe:Mn and core–shell ZnSe:Mn/ZnS d-dots with ZnSe and ZnS outmost shells, respectively. The increase in the intensity of phosphorescence from the dopant Mn2+ was obtained by the corresponding injection of Zn precursor or Zn/S precursors for ZnSe or ZnS shell growth. As compared to the ZnSe shell, the ZnS shell was grown more significantly on the surface of the ZnSe:Mn core, which led to larger d-dots due to a thicker ZnS shell and thus deeper doping of Mn2+ in the larger host. Outstanding improvement has been achieved in both phosphorescence intensity and stability after growth of the ZnS shell relative to the ZnSe shell. The corresponding phosphorescence efficiency of the resulting d-dot cyclohexane solution was enhanced from about 8% for the ZnSe:Mn d-dots to 35% for the ZnSe:Mn/ZnS d-dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) and uncontrollable release of antigens can lower the efficacy of nanovaccine-based immunotherapy (NBI). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a new strategy for TIME reshaping and controllable release of antigens to improve the NBI efficacy. Herein, an acidity-responsive Schiff base-conjugated polyphenol-coordinated nanovaccine was constructed for the first time to realize bidirectional TIME reshaping and controllable release of antigens for activating T cells. In particular, an acidity-responsive tannic acid-ovalbumin (TA-OVA) nanoconjugate was prepared via a Schiff base reaction. Fe III was coordinated with TA-OVA to produce a Fe III -TA-OVA nanosystem, and 1-methyltryptophan (1-MT) as an indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase inhibitor was loaded to form a polyphenol-coordinated nanovaccine. The coordination between Fe III and TA could cause photothermal ablation of primary tumors, and the acidity-triggered Schiff base dissociation of TA-OVA could controllably release OVA to realize lysosome escape, initiating the body's immune response. More importantly, oxidative stress generated by a tumor-specific Fenton reaction of Fe ions could promote the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages from the M2 to M1 phenotype, resulting in the upregulation of cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells. Meanwhile, 1-MT could downregulate immunosuppressive regulatory T cells. Overall, such skillful combination of bidirectional TIME reshaping and controllable antigen release into one coordination nanosystem could effectively enhance the NBI efficacy of tumors.

The development of injectable self-healing adhesive hydrogel dressings with excellent bactericidal activity and wound healing ability is urgently in demand for combating biofilm infections. Herein, a multifunctional hydrogel (QP/QT-MB) with near-infrared (NIR) light-activated mild photothermal/gaseous antimicrobial activity was developed based on the dynamic reversible borate bonds and hydrogen bonds crosslinking between quaternization chitosan (QCS) derivatives alternatively containing phenylboronic acid and catechol-like moieties in conjunction with the in situ encapsulation of BNN6-loaded mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA@BNN6 NPs). Given the dynamic reversible cross-linking feature, the versatile hybrid hydrogel exhibited injectability, flexibility, and rapid self-healing ability. The numerous phenylboronic acid and catechol-like moieties on the QCS backbone confer the hydrogel with specific bacterial affinity, desirable tissue adhesion, and antioxidant stress ability that enhance bactericidal activity and facilitate the regeneration of infection wounds. Under NIR irradiation, the QP/QT-MB hydrogels exhibited a desirable mild photothermal effect and NIR-activity controllable NO delivery, combined with the endogenous contact antimicrobial activity of hydrogel, contributing jointly to induce dispersal of biofilms and disruption of the bacterial plasma membranes, ultimately leading to bacteria inactivation and biofilm elimination. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the fabricated QP/QT-MB hydrogel platform was capable of inducing efficient eradication of the S. aureus biofilm in a severely infected wound model and accelerating infected wound repair by promoting collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and suppressing inflammatory responses. Additionally, the QP/QT-MB hydrogel demonstrated excellent biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo . Collectively, the hydrogel (QP/QT-MB) reveals great potential application prospects as a promising alternative in the field of biofilm-associated infection treatment.

Increasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content at the tumor site is one of the effective strategies to promote intracellular oxidative stress and improve therapeutic efficiency. Herein, an atomically precise cinnamaldehyde-derived metal-organic Cu(I) complex (denoted as DC-OD-Cu) was rationally constructed. DC-OD-Cu could preferentially accumulate in the mitochondria of HeLa cells due to the mitochondria-targeting ability of triphenylphosphine, which was accompanied by the generation of large amounts of highly toxic hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) via Cu(I)-mediated Fenton-like reactions. Meanwhile, greater ROS generation jointly results in mitochondrial damage under white LED light irradiation. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo results suggested that DC-OD-Cu possesses favorable cytotoxicity and inhibits tumor growth. We believe that this research might provide a controllable strategy to construct multifunctional metal organic complexes for ROS-involved CDT.

Specific tumor-responsive capabilities and efficient synergistic therapeutic performance are the keys to effective tumor treatment. Herein, AuNRs@SiO 2 -RB@MnO 2 was developed as a new type of tumor-responsive nanotheranostic for multimodal imaging and synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapy. In AuNRs@SiO 2 -RB@MnO 2 , the SiO 2 layer wraps the AuNRs, providing light absorption in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region. The SiO 2 layer also adsorbs the MnO 2 nanosheets, which have Fenton-like activity, resulting in a fluorescent sensing platform based on the fluorescence quenching properties of MnO 2 for rhodamine B dye. The fluorescence can be recovered by the consumption of MnO 2 by glutathione, which simultaneously produces Mn 2+ in the tumor region. The recovery of fluorescence reflects the consumption of glutathione and the increase in Mn 2+ , which produces hydroxyl radicals via Fenton-like reaction in the tumor microenvironment to realize chemodynamic therapy. Meanwhile, the AuNRs are a good photothermal reagent that can effectively absorb NIR-II light and convert it into heat energy to kill tumor cells via photothermal therapy. The NIR-II absorption performance of the AuNRs provides good photoacoustic imaging and deep photothermal performance, which is favorable for efficient NIR-II photoacoustic imaging-guided photothermal therapy. As a result, the AuNRs@SiO 2 -RB@MnO 2 nanotheranostic exhibits outstanding imaging and synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapeutic performance for tumor imaging and treatment.

The second near-infrared (NIR-II) window (1000-1350 nm) usually offers further improved light penetration, a higher maximum permissible exposure (MPE), and a lower background signal. Development of NIR-II optical diagnosis and phototherapy technologies is of great significance for precise, efficient tumor therapy. In this work, a new type of Ti-based targeting agent (B-TiO2@SiO2-HA) nanotheranostic system with strong NIR-II absorption was designed and fabricated for the first time. Oxygen vacancies were formed in B-TiO2 and its band gap was narrowed, resulting in nanotheranostic systems with full-spectrum responses to stimulation with light. The experimental results showed that B-TiO2@SiO2-HA not only can enable high NIR-II photothermal conversion and provide excellent reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capacity, but also can enable high-resolution photoacoustic imaging (PAI) under NIR-II laser irradiation. Moreover, HA modification gives the nanotheranostic systems the useful ability to target high-CD44-expression tumor cells and tissues. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that B-TiO2@SiO2-HA exhibited a targeted photothermal/photodynamic (PTT/PDT) effect that produced tumor-cell ablation and apoptosis under the guidance of real-time NIR-II PA imaging. B-TiO2@SiO2-HA exhibits precise nanotheranostic potential for PAI-guided tumor-targeting phototherapy.

Second near-infrared (NIR-II) window responsive phototheranostic agents have a precise spatiotemporal potential for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this study, a full-spectrum responsive ZrO 2 -based phototheranostic agent was found to achieve NIR-II photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided tumour-targeting phototherapy. Initially, the ZrO 2 -based phototheranostic agent was fabricated through NaBH 4 reduction to form boron-doped oxygen-deficient zirconia (ZrO 2-x -B), an amino-functionalised SiO 2 shell and a further covalent connection with hyaluronic acid (HA), namely, ZrO 2-x -B@SiO 2 -HA. In the ZrO 2-x -B@SiO 2 -HA system, the oxygen vacancy and boron doping resulted in full-spectrum absorption, enabling a high NIR-II photothermal conversion, high-resolution PA imaging ability and a remarkable production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The surface modification of HA provided ZrO 2-x -B@SiO 2 -HA with water dispersibility and a targeting capability for CD44 overexpressed cancer cells. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that NIR-II activated ZrO 2-x -B@SiO 2 -HA had a targeted photothermal/photodynamic effect for cancer elimination under the real-time guidance of NIR-II PAs. Hence, ZrO 2-x -B@SiO 2 -HA displays a precise NIR-II radiation-activated phototheranostic potential for PA imaging-guided cancer-targeting photothermal/photodynamic therapy.

In this paper, we present a new and facile one-step method for the fabrication of a water-soluble graphene-phthalocyanine (GR-Pc) hybrid material by simply sonicating GR with a hydrophilic Pc, tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt copper phthalocyanine (TSCuPc). In the resultant hybrid material, TSCuPc is coated on the skeleton of pristine GR via non-covalently π-π interaction, detailedly characterized by UV-vis/Raman spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The obtained GR-Pc hybrid (GR-TSCuPc) is applied for photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this PTT/PDT system, both GR and TSCuPc operate as multifunctional agents: GR acts as a photosensitizer carrier and PTT agent, while TSCuPc acts as a hydrophilic PDT agent. Furthermore, the results of cell viability show that the phototherapy effect of GR-TSCuPc is observably higher than that of free TSCuPc, indicating that combined noninvasive PTT/PDT exhibits better anti-cancer efficacy in vitro. Such results highlight that this work provide a facile method to develop efficacious dual-modality carbon nanoplatform for developing cancer therapeutics.