In vitro and in vivo near-infrared photothermal therapy of cancer using polypyrrole organic nanoparticles

PEGylated gold nanoprisms for photothermal therapy at low laser power density

Small-sized PEGylated gold nanoprisms with ultrahigh photothermal conversion efficacy were achieved to induce photothermal therapy under a low power density laser.

CoFe2O4@MnFe2O4/polypyrrole nanocomposites for in vitro photothermal/magnetothermal combined therapy

CoFe₂O₄@MnFe₂O₄/polypyrrole nanocomposites with a relatively large SLP and high photothermal efficiency are highly effective for in vitro cancer cell ablation by photothermal/magnetothermal combined therapy under mild conditions.

Electrically conductive polymers and composites for biomedical applications

This paper provides a review of the recent advances made in the field of electroactive polymers and composites for biomedical applications.

The preparation, drug loading and in vitro NIR photothermal-controlled release behavior of raspberry-like hollow polypyrrole microspheres

Raspberry-like hollow polypyrrole microspheres (H-PPy), which are prepared through a templating method, exhibit promising synergistic cancer therapy effect.

Water-soluble hyaluronic acid–hybridized polyaniline nanoparticles for effectively targeted photothermal therapy

Water-soluble hyaluronic acid–hybridized polyaniline nanoparticles show effective photothermal ablation of cancer with targeted specificity.

Nanoparticles made of π-conjugated compounds targeted for chemical and biological applications

This feature article summarizes the recent applications of nanoparticles made of π-conjugated compounds in bio/chemo-sensing, disease therapy, and photoacoustic imaging.

Na0.3WO3 nanorods: a multifunctional agent for in vivo dual-model imaging and photothermal therapy of cancer cells

The hydrophilic Na_0.3WO₃ nanorods showed intense NIR absorption and large HU value, and thus can be used as a promising multifunctional agent for CT imaging and photothermal treatment of cancer.

Near-infrared light responsive multi-compartmental hydrogel particles synthesized through droplets assembly induced by superhydrophobic surface

Light-responsive hydrogel particles with multi-compartmental structure are useful for applications in microreactors, drug delivery and tissue engineering because of their remotely-triggerable releasing ability and combinational functionalities. The current methods of synthesizing multi-compartmental hydrogel particles typically involve multi-step interrupted gelation of polysaccharides or complicated microfluidic procedures with limited throughput. In this study, a two-step sequential gelation process is developed to produce agarose/alginate double network multi-compartmental hydrogel particles using droplets assemblies induced by superhydrophobic surface as templates. The agarose/alginate double network multi-compartmental hydrogel particles can be formed with diverse hierarchical structures showing combinational functionalities. The synthesized hydrogel particles, when loaded with polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles that act as photothermal nanotransducers, are demonstrated to function as near-infrared (NIR) light triggerable and deformation-free hydrogel materials. Periodic NIR laser switching is applied to stimulate these hydrogel particles, and pulsatile release profiles are collected. Compared with massive reagents released from single-compartmental hydrogel particles, more regulated release profiles of the multi-compartmental hydrogel particles are observed.

J-aggregates of organic dye molecules complexed with iron oxide nanoparticles for imaging-guided photothermal therapy under 915-nm light

Recently, the development of nano-theranostic agents aiming at imaging guided therapy has received great attention. In this work, a near-infrared (NIR) heptamethine indocyanine dye, IR825, in the presence of cationic polymer, polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH), forms J-aggregates with red-shifted and significantly enhanced absorbance. After further complexing with ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and the followed functionalization with polyethylene glycol (PEG), the obtained IR825@PAH-IONP-PEG composite nanoparticles are highly stable in different physiological media. With a sharp absorbance peak, IR825@PAH-IONP-PEG can serve as an effective photothermal agent under laser irradiation at 915 nm, which appears to be optimal in photothermal therapy application considering its improved tissue penetration compared with 808-nm light and much lower water heating in comparison to 980-nm light. As revealed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, those nanoparticles after intravenous injection exhibit high tumor accumulation, which is then harnessed for in vivo photothermal ablation of tumors, achieving excellent therapeutic efficacy in a mouse tumor model. This study demonstrates for the first time that J-aggregates of organic dye molecules are an interesting class of photothermal material, which when combined with other imageable nanoprobes could serve as a theranostic agent for imaging-guided photothermal therapy of cancer.

PEGylated nickel carbide nanocrystals as efficient near-infrared laser induced photothermal therapy for treatment of cancer cells in vivo

Photothermal therapy has attracted significant attention as a minimally invasive therapy methodology. In this work, we report PEGylated nickel carbide nanocrystals (Ni3C NCs) as an efficient photothermal agent for the first time. The nanoparticles exhibit a broad absorption from the visible to the near-infrared regions and a rapid rise in temperature when irradiated by an 808 nm laser even at a concentration of 100 μg mL(-1). In vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity assays demonstrate they have good biocompatibility, which lays an important foundation for their biological application. In vitro studies reveal the efficient damage of cancer cells by the exposure of 808 nm laser with a power density of 0.50 W cm(-2). Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining of tumor slices confirmed the obvious destruction of cancer cells in vivo by an 808 nm laser (0.50 W cm(-2)) after only a 5 min application. Our work may open up a new application domain for transition metal carbides for biomedicine.

Toxicology of chemically modified graphene-based materials for medical application

This review article aims to provide an overview of chemically modified graphene, and graphene oxide (GO), and their impact on toxicology when present in biological systems. Graphene is one of the most promising nanomaterials due to unique physicochemical properties including enhanced optical, thermal, and electrically conductive behavior in addition to mechanical strength and high surface-to-volume ratio. Graphene-based nanomaterials have received much attention over the last 5 years in the biomedical field ranging from their use as polymeric conduits for nerve regeneration, carriers for targeted drug delivery and in the treatment of cancer via photo-thermal therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo biological studies of graphene-based nanomaterials help understand their relative toxicity and biocompatibility when used for biomedical applications. Several studies investigating important material properties such as surface charge, concentration, shape, size, structural defects, and chemical functional groups relate to their safety profile and influence cyto- and geno-toxicology. In this review, we highlight the most recent studies of graphene-based nanomaterials and outline their unique properties, which determine their interactions under a range of environmental conditions. The advent of graphene technology has led to many promising new opportunities for future applications in the field of electronics, biotechnology, and nanomedicine to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of debilitating diseases.

Polypyrrole/Agarose-based electronically conductive and reversibly restorable hydrogel

Conductive hydrogels are a class of composite materials that consist of hydrated and conducting polymers. Due to the mechanical similarity to biointerfaces such as human skin, conductive hydrogels have been primarily utilized as bioelectrodes, specifically neuroprosthetic electrodes, in an attempt to replace metallic electrodes by enhancing the mechanical properties and long-term stability of the electrodes within living organisms. Here, we report a conductive, smart hydrogel, which is thermoplastic and self-healing owing to its unique properties of reversible liquefaction and gelation in response to thermal stimuli. In addition, we demonstrated that our conductive hydrogel could be utilized to fabricate bendable, stretchable, and patternable electrodes directly on human skin. The excellent mechanical and thermal properties of our hydrogel make it potentially useful in a variety of biomedical applications such as electronic skin.

Biocompatible PEGylated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles as photothermal agents for near-infrared light modulated cancer therapy

In accordance with the World Cancer Report, cancer has become the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and various therapeutic strategies have been developed at the same time. In the present study, biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles were designed and synthesized as high-performance photothermal agents for near-infrared light mediated cancer therapy in vitro. Via a facile one-pot solvothermal method, well-defined PEGylated magnetic nanoparticles (PEG-Fe3O4) were prepared with cheap inhesion as a first step. Due to the successful coating of PEG molecules on the surface of PEG-Fe3O4, these nanoparticles exhibited excellent dispersibility and dissolvability in physiological condition. Cytotoxicity based on MTT assays indicated these nanoparticles revealed high biocompatibility and low toxicity towards both Hela cells and C6 cells. After near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, the viabilities of C6 cells were effectively suppressed when incubated with the NIR laser activated PEG-Fe3O4. In addition, detailed photothermal anti-cancer efficacy was evaluated via visual microscope images, demonstrating that our PEG-Fe3O4 were promising for photothermal therapy of cancer cells.

Dye-loaded ferritin nanocages for multimodal imaging and photothermal therapy

Multimodal imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT), for the therapy of cancer, based on a ferritin (FRT) nanocage loaded with the near-infrared dye IR820 (designated DFRT) is demonstrated. The dual roles of DFRT (in imaging and PTT) are successfully balanced by using two different excitation wavelengths: 550 nm for high quantum-yield fluorescence imaging on the one hand and 808 nm for photoacoustic imaging and PTT with high photothermal conversion efficiency on the other.

Gold nanoprisms for photothermal cell ablation in vivo

Aim: To develop new methodologies for selective cell ablation in a temporally and spatially precise fashion in model organisms. Materials & methods: living polyps (Hydra vulgaris) treated with gold nanoprisms were near-infrared (NIR) irradiated and the photothermal effects evaluated at whole-animal, cellular and molecular levels. Results: Nanoprisms showed good efficiency of internalization in living specimens, with no sign of toxicity; under NIR irradiation they induced cell death and the overexpression of the hsp70 gene. Conclusion: gold nanoprisms could be employed as efficient heat mediators in model organisms, and NIR-triggered cell ablation may represent a new advanced tool to study cell function. Solving bioethical and economical issues, invertebrates may provide alternative models bridging the gap between cell research and preclinical studies of photothermal therapy.

Composite photothermal platform of polypyrrole-enveloped Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle self-assembled superstructures

Photothermal nanoplatforms with small size, low cost, multifunctionality, good biocompatibility and in particular biodegradability are greatly desired in the exploration of novel diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies. Despite Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) have been approved as safe clinical agents, the low molar extinction coefficient and subsequent poor photothermal performance shed the doubt as effective photothermal materials. In this paper, we demonstrate the fabrication of polypyrrole (PPy)-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures with a spherical morphology, which leads to a 300-fold increase in the molar extinction coefficient. The basic idea is the optimization of Fe3O4 electronic structures. By controlling the self-assembly of Fe3O4 NPs, the diameters of the superstructures are tuned from 32 to 64 nm. This significantly enhances the indirect transition and magnetic coupling of Fe ions, thus increasing the molar extinction coefficient of Fe3O4 NPs from 3.65 × 10(6) to 1.31 × 10(8) M(-1) cm(-1) at 808 nm. The envelopment of Fe3O4 superstructures with conductive PPy shell introduces additional electrons in the Fe3O4 oscillation system, and therewith further enhances the molar extinction coefficient to 1.12 × 10(9) M(-1) cm(-1). As a result, the photothermal performance is greatly improved. Primary cell experiments indicate that PPy-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures are low toxic, and capable to kill Hela cells under near-infrared laser irradiation. Owing to the low cost, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, the PPy-enveloped Fe3O4 NP superstructures are promising photothermal platform for establishing novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

An albumin-based theranostic nano-agent for dual-modal imaging guided photothermal therapy to inhibit lymphatic metastasis of cancer post surgery

A large variety of cancers are associated with a high incidence of lymph node metastasis, which leads to a high risk of cancer death. Herein, we demonstrate that multimodal imaging guided photothermal therapy can inhibit tumor metastasis after surgery by burning the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) with metastatic tumor cells. A near-infrared dye, IR825, is absorbed onto human serum albumin (HSA), which is covalently linked with diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) molecules to chelate gadolinium. The formed HSA-Gd-IR825 nanocomplex exhibits strong fluorescence together with high near-infrared (NIR) absorbance, and in the mean time could serve as a T1 contrast agent in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In vivo bi-modal fluorescence and MR imaging uncovers that HSA-Gd-IR825 after being injected into the primary tumor would quickly migrate into tumor-associated SLNs through lymphatic circulation. Utilizing the strong NIR absorbance of HSA-Gd-IR825, SLNs with metastatic cancer cells can be effectively ablated under exposure to a NIR laser. Such treatment when combined with surgery to remove the primary tumor offers remarkable therapeutic outcomes in greatly inhibiting further metastatic spread of cancer cells and prolonging animal survival. Our work presents an albumin-based theranostic nano-probe with functions of multimodal imaging and photothermal therapy, together with a 'photothermal ablation assisted surgery' strategy, promising for future clinical cancer treatment.

Nanoparticles of conjugated polymers prepared from phase-separated films of phospholipids and polymers for biomedical applications

Phase separation in films of phospholipids and conjugated polymers results in nanoassemblies because of a difference in the physicochemical properties between the hydrophobic polymers and the polar lipid heads, together with the comparable polymer side-chain lengths to lipid tail lengths, thus producing nanoparticles of conjugated polymers upon disassembly in aqueous media by the penetration of water into polar regions of the lipid heads.

Redox-responsive nanocarrier based on heparin end-capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles for targeted tumor therapy in vitro and in vivo

This study reports a smart controlled drug release system based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for targeted drug delivery. The system was fabricated by employing heparin as an end-capping agent to seal the mesopores of MSNs via disulfide bonds as intermediate linkers for intracellular glutathione triggered drug release. Lactobionic acid molecules were then coupled to heparin end-capped MSNs that serve as targeting motifs for facilitating the uptake of doxorubicin (DOX) loaded MSNs by HepG2 cells and tumors, respectively. Detailed investigations demonstrated that the fabricated drug delivery systems could deliver DOX to cancer cells to induce cell apoptosis in vitro and tumor tissue for the inhibition of tumor growth in vivo with minimal side effects. The study affords a promising nanocarrier for redox-responsive cargo delivery with high curative efficiency for cancer therapy.

Facile synthesis of biocompatible cysteine-coated CuS nanoparticles with high photothermal conversion efficiency for cancer therapy

The semiconductor compounds have been proven to be promising candidates as a new type of photothermal therapy agent, but unsatisfactory photothermal conversion efficiencies limit their widespread application in photothermal therapy (PTT). Herein, we synthesized cysteine-coated CuS nanoparticles (Cys-CuS NPs) as highly efficient PTT agents by a simple aqueous solution method. The Cys-CuS NPs have a good biocompatibility owing to their biocompatible cysteine coating and exhibit a strong absorption in the near-infrared region due to the localized surface plasma resonances of valence-band free carriers. The photothermal conversion efficiency of Cys-CuS NPs reaches 38.0%, which is much higher than that of the recently reported Cu9S5 and Cu(2-x)Se nanocrystals. More importantly, tumor growth can be efficiently inhibited in vivo by the fatal heat arising from the excellent photothermal effect of Cys-CuS NPs at a low concentration under the irradiation of a 980 nm laser with a safe power density of 0.72 W cm(-2). Therefore, the Cys-CuS NPs have great potential as ideal photothermal agents for cancer therapy.

Triphase interface synthesis of plasmonic gold bellflowers as near-infrared light mediated acoustic and thermal theranostics

We present a novel gold bellflower (GBF) platform with multiple-branched petals, prepared by a liquid-liquid-gas triphase interface system, for photoacoustic imaging (PAI)-guided photothermal therapy (PTT). Upon near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, the GBFs, with strong NIR absorption, showed very strong PA response and an ultrahigh photothermal conversion efficiency (η, ∼74%) among the reported photothermal conversion agents. The excellent performance in PAI and PTT is mainly attributed to the unique features of the GBFs: (i) multiple-branched petals with an enhanced local electromagnetic field, (ii) long narrow gaps between adjacent petals that induce a strong plasmonic coupling effect, and (iii) a bell-shaped nanostructure that can effectively amplify the acoustic signals during the acoustic propagation. Besides the notable PTT and an excellent PAI effect, the NIR-absorbing GBFs may also find applications in NIR light-triggered drug delivery, catalysis, surface enhanced Raman scattering, stealth, antireflection, IR sensors, telecommunications, and the like.

Simulation and analysis of cellular internalization pathways and membrane perturbation for graphene nanosheets

Clarifying the mechanisms of cellular interactions of graphene family nanomaterials is an urgent issue to the development of guidelines for safer biomedical applications and to the evaluation of health and environment impacts. By combining large-scale computer simulations, theoretical analysis, and experimental discussions, here we present a systematic study on the interactions of graphene nanosheets having various oxidization degrees with a model lipid bilayer membrane. In the mesoscopic simulations, we investigate the detailed translocation pathways of these materials across a 56 × 56 nm(2) membrane patch which allows us to fully consider the role of membrane perturbation during this process. A phase diagram regarding the transmembrane translocation mechanisms of graphene nanosheets is thereby obtained in the space of oxidization degree and particle size. Then, we propose a theoretical approach to analyze the effects of various initial equilibrium states of graphene nanosheets with membrane on their following cellular uptake process. Finally, we demonstrate that the simulation and theoretical results reproduce some important experimental findings towards the mechanisms of cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of graphene materials. These results not only provide new insight into the cellular internalization mechanism of graphene-based nanomaterials but also offer fundamental understanding on their physicochemical properties which can be precisely tailored for safer biomedical and environment applications.

Polypyrrole-coated chainlike gold nanoparticle architectures with the 808 nm photothermal transduction efficiency up to 70%

Aqueous Au nanoparticles (NPs) are employed as the building blocks to construct chainlike self-assembly architectures, which greatly enhance the photothermal performance at 808 nm. Biocompatible polypyrrole (PPy) is further adopted as the package material to coat Au NP chains, producing stable photothermal agents. As a result of contributions from chainlike Au, the PPy shell, as well as the Au-PPy composite structures, the capability of photothermal transduction at 808 nm is greatly enhanced, represented by the high photothermal transduction efficiency up to 70%. Primary animal experiment proves that the current composite photothermal agents are efficient in inhibiting tumor growth under an 808 nm irradiation, showing the potentials for in vivo photothermal therapy.

Cu₂-xSe@mSiO₂-PEG core-shell nanoparticles: a low-toxic and efficient difunctional nanoplatform for chemo-photothermal therapy under near infrared light radiation with a safe power density

A low-toxic difunctional nanoplatform integrating both photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for killing cancer cells using Cu₂-xSe@mSiO₂-PEG core-shell nanoparticles is reported. Silica coating and further PEG modification improve the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of copper selenide nanoparticles. As-prepared Cu₂-xSe@mSiO₂-PEG nanoparticles not only display strong near infrared (NIR) region absorption and good photothermal effect, but also exhibit excellent biocompatibility. The mesoporous silica shell is provided as the carrier for loading the anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX). Moreover, the release of DOX from Cu₂-xSe@mSiO₂-PEG core-shell nanoparticles can be triggered by pH and NIR light, resulting in a synergistic effect for killing cancer cells. Importantly, the combination of photothermal therapy and chemotherapy driven by NIR radiation with safe power density significantly improves the therapeutic efficacy, and demonstrates better therapeutic effects for cancer treatment than individual therapy.

Porous Pd nanoparticles with high photothermal conversion efficiency for efficient ablation of cancer cells

Nanoparticle (NP) mediated photothermal effect shows great potential as a noninvasive method for cancer therapy treatment, but the development of photothermal agents with high photothermal conversion efficiency, small size and good biocompatibility is still a big challenge. Herein, we report Pd NPs with a porous structure exhibiting enhanced near infrared (NIR) absorption as compared to Pd nanocubes with a similar size (almost two-fold enhancement with a molar extinction coefficient of 6.3 × 10(7) M(-1) cm(-1)), and the porous Pd NPs display monotonically rising absorbance from NIR to UV-Vis region. When dispersed in water and illuminated with an 808 nm laser, the porous Pd NPs give a photothermal conversion efficiency as high as 93.4%, which is comparable to the efficiency of Au nanorods we synthesized (98.6%). As the porous Pd NPs show broadband NIR absorption (650-1200 nm), this allows us to choose multiple laser wavelengths for photothermal therapy. In vitro photothermal heating of HeLa cells in the presence of porous Pd NPs leads to 100% cell death under 808 nm laser irradiation (8 W cm(-2), 4 min). For photothermal heating using 730 nm laser, 70% of HeLa cells were killed after 4 min irradiation at a relative low power density of 6 W cm(-2). These results demonstrated that the porous Pd nanostructure is an attractive photothermal agent for cancer therapy.

Multifunctional polypyrrole@Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles for dual-modal imaging and in vivo photothermal cancer therapy

Magnetic Fe3 O4 crystals are produced in situ on preformed polypyrrole (PPY) nanoparticles by rationally converting the residual Fe species in the synthetic system. The obtained PPY@Fe(3)O(4)composite nanoparticles exhibit good photostability and biocompatibility, and they can be used as multifunctional probes for MRI, thermal imaging, and photothermal ablation of cancer cells.

PEGylated WS(2) nanosheets as a multifunctional theranostic agent for in vivo dual-modal CT/photoacoustic imaging guided photothermal therapy

A new generation of photothermal theranostic agents is developed based on PEGylated WS2 nanosheets. Bimodal in vivo CT/photoacoustic imaging reveals strong tumor contrast after either intratumoral or intravenous injection of WS2 -PEG. In vivo photothermal treatment is then conducted in a mouse tumor model, achieving excellent therapeutic efficacy with complete ablation of tumors. This work promises further exploration of transition-metal dichalcogenides for biomedical applications, such as cancer imaging and therapy.

Cu7.2S4 nanocrystals: a novel photothermal agent with a 56.7% photothermal conversion efficiency for photothermal therapy of cancer cells

Copper sulphides, as a novel kind of photothermal agent for photothermal therapy (PTT) of cancer cells, have attracted increasing attention in recent years due to good photostability, synthetic simplicity, low toxicity and low cost. However, the unsatisfactory photothermal conversion efficiency of copper sulphides limits their bioapplication as PTT agents. Herein, Cu7.2S4 NCs with a mean size of ∼20 nm as a novel photothermal agent have been prepared by a simple thermal decomposition route. Moreover, these NCs exhibit strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, good photostability and significant photothermal conversion efficiency up to 56.7% due to strong NIR absorption, good dispersity and suitable size. Importantly, these NCs can be very compatibly used as a 980 nm laser-driven PTT agent for the efficient PTT of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Copper sulfide self-assembly architectures with improved photothermal performance

Copper chalcogenide nanomaterials are promising photothermal materials for establishing novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods owing to the low cost but high photothermal transduction efficiency. Further progresses of the correlated technologies greatly depend on the efforts on design and construction of novel nanostructures. In this paper, we demonstrate a facile one-pot route for constructing CuS nanostructures in aqueous media via a spontaneous assembly process. In the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the capping agents, a decomposition of Cu(CH3COSH)x precursors is induced by ammonia, which produces hexagonal CuS nanoparticles (NPs) with the diameter around 22 nm. The primary CuS NPs greatly tend to self-assembly into one-dimensional structures, which are triggered by short-range anisotropic dipolar attraction and enforced by long-range isotropic electrostatic repulsion. The further fusion of the assembled NPs generates 480 × 50 nm(2) CuS nanorods. Because the formation of nanorods enhances the internanorod van der Waals attraction, the nanorods finally self-assembly into shuttle-like bundles in micrometer size. In comparison to isolated NPs, the regular CuS assembly structures exhibit improved molar extinction coefficient up to 9.7 × 10(16) cm(-1) M(-1) by shortening the distance of neighboring CuS NPs and therewith generating new electronic structures of the CuS indirect transition. Consequently, better photothermal performance is achieved.

Pen-Writing Polypyrrole Arrays on Paper for Versatile Cheap Sensors

A simple and low-cost "pen-writing" method is exploited for integrating conducting polymer on cellulosic paper. The pen-written paper chip not only possesses excellent mechanical and electrical properties, but also serves as a versatile sensor, fulfilling several real-time and in situ detections for ammonia gas, thermal heating, and NIR light. The theoretical detection limit of ammonia gas can be as low as 1.2 ppm, which is a promising performance for industrial application. In addition, this "pen-writing" technique can be extended to generate wearable electrical textiles in a large scale.

Tungsten oxide nanorods: an efficient nanoplatform for tumor CT imaging and photothermal therapy

We report here a facile thermal decomposition approach to creating tungsten oxide nanorods (WO_2.9 NRs) with a length of 13.1 ± 3.6 nm and a diameter of 4.4 ± 1.5 nm for tumor theranostic applications. The formed WO_2.9 NRs were modified with methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) carboxyl acid via ligand exchange to have good water dispersability and biocompatibility. With the high photothermal conversion efficiency irradiated by a 980 nm laser and the better X-ray attenuation property than clinically used computed tomography (CT) contrast agent Iohexol, the formed PEGylated WO_2.9 NRs are able to inhibit the growth of the model cancer cells in vitro and the corresponding tumor model in vivo, and enable effective CT imaging of the tumor model in vivo. Our “killing two birds with one stone” strategy could be extended for fabricating other nanoplatforms for efficient tumor theranostic applications.

A facile one-pot method to synthesize a polypyrrole/hemin nanocomposite and its application in biosensor, dye removal, and photothermal therapy

In this work, we introduced a facile method for the construction of a polypyrrole/hemin (PPy/hemin) nanocomposite via one-pot chemical oxidative polymerization. In this process, a hemin molecule serving as a dopant was entrapped in the PPy nanocomposite during chemical oxidative polymerization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-visible spectroscopy results demonstrated that the PPy/hemin nanocomposite was successfully synthesized. The as-prepared nanocomposite exhibited intrinsic peroxidase-like catalytic activities, strong adsorption properties, and an excellent near-infrared (NIR) light-induced thermal effect. We utilized the nanomaterials to catalyze the oxidation of a peroxidase substrate 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine by H2O2 to the oxidized colored product which provided a colorimetric detection of glucose. As low as 50 μM glucose could be detected with a linear range from 0.05 to 8 mM. Moreover, the obtained nanocomposite also showed excellent removal efficiency for methyl orange and rhodamine B and a photothermal effect, which implied a promising application as the pollutant adsorbent and photothermal agent. The unique nature of the PPy/hemin nanocomposite makes it very promising for the fabrication of inexpensive, high-performance bioelectronic devices in the future.

A photothermal cell viability-reporting theranostic nanoprobe for intraoperative optical ablation and tracking of tumors

A photothermal acid-responsive nanoprobe was developed for intraoperative detection and photothermal killing of tumors, and tracking of therapeutic effects.

Polypyrrole nanoparticles as promising enzyme mimics for sensitive hydrogen peroxide detection

Polypyrrole nanoparticles possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, which can be employed to quantitatively monitor the H₂O₂ generated by macrophages.

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles for photoacoustic vascular imaging

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles with strong near infrared absorbance and high photostability have been demonstrated to be an efficient photoacoustic contrast agent for vascular imaging.

Hyaluronic acid–polypyrrole nanoparticles as pH-responsive theranostics

Doxorubicin-loaded hyaluronic acid–polypyrrole nanoparticles as smart theranostic agents for proliferating macrophages.