Photocatalysis-promoted tumor ferroptosis enabled by MOF-derived black TiO2

Abstract

Ferroptosis has emerged as a novel approach to suppress tumor growth through the iron-dependent accumulation of lipid peroxides, providing new opportunities for cancer therapy. However, the effectiveness of ferroptosis is impeded by the substantial neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated through the Fenton reaction, by the high level of glutathione in cancer cells. Here we report a titanium metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived method to create black TiO2 nanoparticles with excellent photocatalytic performance. The nanoparticle has a narrow bandgap of 1.02 eV, multiple discrete gap states, and a high density of oxygen vacancies (46.2 %), facilitating ROS generation under 1064-nm light irradiation. When coated with a tannic acid/Fe3+ layer, the resulting nanocomposite possesses the ability to deplete glutathione concentration, preventing the newly generated ROS from being neutralized and promoting ferroptotic cancer cell death. Complemented by photothermal and chemodynamic effects, in vivo experiments demonstrate a high tumor inhibition rate of 89.8 %. The utilization of MOF-derived nanomaterials represents a universal strategy, offering a solution for ferroptosis-based therapy in solid tumors and contributing to the development of smart, optically active materials with diverse applications in biological contexts.