Photothermal Conversion Ability Research Articles

Preparation and performance of a stimuli-responsive drug delivery system: novel light-triggered temperature-sensitive drug-loaded microcapsules.

Stimuli-responsive/smart drug delivery systems (DDSs), particularly those that use temperature as a stimuli-response factor to activate drug release, are the subject of recent research. A phase change material (PCM) is a popular thermally responsive material that can be used as a drug carrier and only when the system temperature is above the phase change point is the drug released following the phase change material changing from solid to liquid. In this study, a novel NIR light-triggered temperature-sensitive drug delivery system is developed for controllable release of acyclovir (ACV). For this purpose, a mixture of a phase change material (T38) and an ACV compound is first emulsified with copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) as a Pickering stabilizer and a photothermal conversion material, and then encapsulated with SiO2 to form a photothermal stimuli-responsive delivery system. This system shows a uniform spherical shape with a well-distinct core-shell structure, and is further experimentally proven to be able to controllably release drugs with solid-liquid transition of the phase change carrier upon temperature change. These results indicate that cumulative release of ACV can reach 51.2% at 40 °C within 20 hours, which is much higher than 27.3% release achieved below the melting point of T38. In addition, CuO NPs with excellent photothermal conversion ability endow the system with precisely controllable drug delivery via NIR light stimulation, where the cumulative drug release can reach 83.6% after 7 cycles of light stimulation, allowing controlled release at a specific time or location.

Enhanced photothermal therapy performance of D-A conjugated polymers based on [1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-g]quinoxaline by manipulating molecular motion.

Donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymers can favor the nonradiative thermal dissipation process, due to the formation of an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state resulting from the electron cloud delocalization of the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) and LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital). Thus, to realize a high extinction coefficient and excellent photothermal conversion ability for a single photothermal agent, donor-acceptor type conjugated polymers PBDT-QTz and PCDT-QTz, comprising a new electron-deficient unit 2-(2-decyltetradecyl)-6,7-dimethyl-2H-[1,2,3]triazolo [4,5-g] quinoxaline (QTz) as the acceptor and 4,8-di(thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) or 4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b'] dithiophene (CDT) as the donor, are designed and synthesized by manipulating intramolecular motion. The high extinction coefficient of 28.5 L g-1 cm-1 at 850 nm and the optimal photothermal conversion efficiency of 64.3% under an 808 nm laser are achieved based on PBDT-QTz. Consequently, PBDT-QTz nanoparticles can be successfully used for both in vitro and in vivo experiments. After intravenous administration and 808 nm laser irradiation, HeLa tumor-bearing mice achieve complete tumor remission without recurrence. The results provide an efficient photothermal agent by manipulating molecular motion.

An “all in one” strategy to boost antibacterial phototherapy via porphyrin and boron dipyrromethenes based covalent organic framework

Bacterial drug resistant is considered as a major threat to human health. Antibacterial phototherapy (PT) including photodynamic and photothermal therapy has attracted increasing attention owing to spatiotemporal precision, no drug resistance, and low systemic toxicity. However, the efficacy of photodynamic or photothermal therapy alone is limited by low oxygen concentration and high sterilization temperature, respectively. Herein, an “all in one” strategy is proposed and a porphyrin and boron dipyrromethenes (bodipy) based covalent organic framework (COF), named as Tph-BDP-COF, is synthesized to manipulate the excitation energy dissipation pathway, and thus realizing excellent synergetic antibacterial phototherapy. The “all in one” hybrid exhibits a narrow optical bandgap (1.33 eV) and a fast energy and electron transfer compare with porphyrin-base COF-366, hence improving intersystem crossing process and photothermal conversion. Thus, Tph-BDP-COF showed superior ROS generation and excellent photothermal conversion ability, consequently giving an efficient “all in one” antibacterial activities (97 %) compared with the porphyrin-based COF-366 (54 %). These findings give inspiration for the “all in one” phototherapy materials design.

Frontiers in Preparations and Promising Applications of Mesoporous Polydopamine for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Polydopamine (PDA) is a natural melanin derived from marine mussels that has good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and photothermal conversion ability. As a new coating material, it offers a novel way to modify the surface of various substances. The drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of PDA are greatly improved via the use of mesoporous materials. The abundant pore canals on mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA) exhibit a uniquely large surface area, which provides a structural basis for drug delivery. In this review, we systematically summarized the characteristics and manufacturing process of MPDA, introduced its application in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and discussed the existing problems in its development and clinical application. This comprehensive review will facilitate further research on MPDA in the fields of medicine including cancer therapy, materials science, and biology.

Multifunctional sponge scaffold loaded with concentrated growth factors for promoting wound healing

Although both are applied in regenerative medicine, acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and concentrated growth factor (CGF) have their respective shortcoming: The functioning of CGF is often hindered by sudden release effects, among other problems, and ADM can only be used in outer dressing for wound healing. In this study, a compound network with physical-chemical double cross-linking was constructed using chemical cross-linking and the intertwining of ADM and chitosan chains under freezing conditions; equipped with good biocompatibility and cell/tissue affinity, the heparin-modified composite scaffold was able to significantly promote cell adhesion and proliferation to achieve adequate fixation and slow down the release of CGF; polydopamine nanoparticles having excellent near-infrared light photothermal conversion ability could significantly promote the survival of rat autologous skin grafts. In a word, this multifunctional composite scaffold is a promising new type of implant biomaterial capable of delivering CGF to promote the healing of full-thickness skin defects.

Synthesis and Study of Photothermal Properties of a Mixed-Valence Nanocluster CuI/CuII with Strong near-Infrared Optical Absorption Supported by 4-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene Ligand.

The first mixed-valence nanocluster CuI/CuII with the highest percentage of CuII ions was synthesized by using 4-tert-butylcalix[4]arene (Calix4), with the formula DMF2⊂[(CO3)2-@CuII6CuI3(Calix4)3Cl2(DMF)5(H3O)]•DMF (1), as a photothermal nanocluster. Its structure was characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. In addition, the charge state and chemical composition of the nanocluster were determined using electrospray ionization spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrum. The results of the XPS and X-ray crystallography revealed that there are two independent CuII and CuI centers in nanocluster 1 with the relative abundances of 66.6 and 33.3% for CuII and CuI, respectively. The nanocluster contains three four-coordinated CuI ions with a square-planar geometry and six five-coordinated CuII ions with a square pyramid geometry. The nanocluster shows strong near-infrared optical absorption in the solid state and excellent photothermal conversion ability (the equilibrium temperature ∼78.2 °C) with the light absorption centers in 286-917 nm over previous reported pentanucleus CuI4CuII clusters and CuII compounds.

Integrating built-in fine alloying FeNi3 in carbon nanofiber reinforcing intermetallic synergy for PMS activation to degrade Bisphenol A

Heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for the mineralization of pollutants has attracted growing attention, while alloying bimetal catalysts afford big promises in synergetic catalysis. Here, by an alteration of electrospun precursor, one-dimensional carbon nanofiber (CNF) integrated with Prussian blue analogs (PBA)-derived alloyed fine plasmonic FeNi3 hybrid catalyst (FeNi3@CNF) was constructed by electrospinning technique with subsequent confinement calcination. The amount of PBA in fiber precursor and thermal treatment temperature were alternatively adjusted to control the distribution and concentration of alloyed FeNi3 in carbon nanofiber. This unique structure combines the advantages of abundant internal porosity of N-doping carbon fiber and uniforms active FeNi3 alloys with highly-exposed reactive sites, facilitating the electron transport and proximity of reactant molecules in catalytic oxidation. The synergistic and interfacial effect of optimal FeNi3@CNF endowed the ultra-fast degradation activity against bisphenol A (BPA) through rapid persulphate activation to generate four reactive active species. Specifically, 20 mg L−1 of BPA was completely degraded within 4 min with a reaction rate constant of 2.736 min−1. Impressively, by innovating the utilization of the Prussian blue precursor in electrospinning, the optimal FeNi3@CNF shows 18.5, 101.3, and 248.5 times activity enhancement in BPA degradation compared to that of Fe@CNF, Ni@CNF, and Fe&Ni@CNF, revealing the appreciable synergy of bimetallic alloys in PMS activation. In addition, the improved catalytic performance of FeNi3@CNF under light irradiation was also simulated, confirming that the enhanced photothermal conversion ability of plasmonic alloys and carbon fiber advance the degradation of BPA.

Iridium Tungstate Nanozyme-Mediated Hypoxic Regulation and Anti-inflammation for Duplex Imaging Guided Photothermal Therapy of Metastatic Breast Tumors.

Metastasis of breast cancer is key to poor prognosis and high mortality. However, the excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory response induced by photothermal therapy (PTT) further aggravate tumor metastasis. Meanwhile, the hypoxic tumor microenvironment promotes tumor cells to metastasize to distant organs. Herein, the intrinsic limitations of PTT for metastatic tumor have been addressed by fabricating polyethylene glycol modified iridium tungstate (IrWOx-PEG) nanoparticles. The as-designed IrWOx-PEG nanoparticles displayed good photothermal (PT) conversion ability for duplex photoacoustic/PT imaging guided PTT and multienzyme mimetic feature for broad-spectrum ROS scavenging. On the one hand, IrWOx-PEG effectively removed excess ROS generated during PTT and reduced inflammation. On the other hand, owing to the catalase-like activity, it preferentially triggered the catalytic production of oxygen by decomposing ROS, leading to relieving of the hypoxic microenvironment. Hence, under bimodal imaging guidance, IrWOx-PEG induced PTT completely eliminated in situ breast cancer in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice with no observable system toxicity, as well as further restricting tumor metastasis to other vital organs (lungs) by ROS scavenging, anti-inflammation, and regulating hypoxic microenvironment. We anticipate that this work will lead to new treatment strategies for other metastatic cancers.

Preparation of a Biodegradable Mulch Film Exhibiting a High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency and Bioactive Effects

AbstractIn this study, chitosan (CS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polydopamine (PDA), and tungsten trioxide are compounded via melt blending to prepare a CS/PVP/PDA/WO3 composite mulch. The morphological characteristics, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission performance, photothermal performance, and degradation performance of the mulch film and the effect of the CS/PVP/PDA/WO3 composite mulch film on the growth of Dianthus chinensis L. and cucumber seeds are studied. The results show that the CS/PVP/PDA/WO3 film exhibits a good thermal stability, biodegradability, UV resistance, photothermal conversion ability, and transmittance. Evaluation of the effect of this mulch film on the growth of crops shows that the film can promote the germination of seeds and increase the seedling growth rate.

Red light-emitting carbon dots for reduced phototoxicity and photothermal/photodynamic-enhanced synergistic tumor therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has received extensive attention due to its non-invasive, photo-stimuli-responsive advantages. However, the poor dispersibility of most photosensitizers in water and non-negligible phototoxicity limit their further clinical application. To surmount this dilemma, red-emitting carbon dots (RCDs) with good photothermal conversion ability were synthesized, and photosensitizers Chlorin-e6 (Ce6) were linked onto RCDs to construct the nano-platform RCDs-Ce6 through amide reaction. In this system, RCDs can increase the dispersion of Ce6 to enhance PDT and absorb partitions of daylight to reduce phototoxicity. At the same time, RCDs-Ce6 can achieve simultaneous excitation of photothermal therapy (PTT) and PDT under a single laser, which can overcome the drawbacks of monotherapy while simplifying the treatment procedure. Besides, the excellent fluorescence imaging capability of RCDs-Ce6 could achieve imaging-guided tumor treatment. Spontaneously, both the cytological and 3D multicellular spheroids (3D MCS) levels demonstrated that RCDs-Ce6 had a stronger synergic therapeutic effect with a combination index (CI) of 0.278 and lower phototoxicity. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments showed that RCDs-Ce6 (PTT and PDT) had a more substantial tumor inhibition effect and fluorescence imaging ability with more tumor distribution. This study widened the way for further applications of photodynamic-enhanced therapy with reduced phototoxicity in photosensitizer delivery based on RCDs.

A synergistic strategy for SiC/C nanofibers@MXene with core-sheath microstructure toward efficient electromagnetic wave absorption and photothermal conversion

A ingenious approach of synergistic strategy between MXene and one-dimensional (1D) materials have been proved for enhancing the performance of composites. However, the problem of MXene aggregation in compounding processes usually reduces their superiority. Herein, few-layered Ti3C2Tx wrapped SiC/C nanofibers (SiC/C@MXene NFs) with a core-sheath microstructure were synthesized via a method of electrostatic self-assembly. Strong electrostatic adsorption bonding anchored the Ti3C2Tx sheets on surface of the SiC/C NFs, which effectively inhibited the self-restacking and thus efficiently enhanced their electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption and photothermal conversion performances. As a result, 8.0 wt% SiC/C@MXene NFs dispersed in paraffin simultaneously exhibited a minimum reflection loss (RL, dB) and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < -10 dB) of −70.9 dB and 6.32 GHz at 2.63 mm. Besides, 0.4 wt% SiC/C@MXene NFs dispersed in waterborne polyurethane (PU) achieved strong photothermal conversion abilities, with the maximum temperatures rising to 95, 145, 183, and 201 °C at light intensities of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 W cm−2, respectively. Therefore, the synergistic strategy effectively utilizes the structural advantages of the 2D Ti3C2Tx and 1D SiC/C NFs, endowing SiC/C@MXene NFs with core-sheath microstructure, and effectively improving their EM wave absorption and photothermal conversion performances.

Facile fabrication of robust epoxy resin monolithic superhydrophobic materials with excellent mechanical-chemical stability, biocompatibility and photothermal conversion capacity

Improving the durability of superhydrophobic materials is the key factor to promote their practical application. Here, a facile one-pot synthesis procedure is used to prepare epoxy resin monolithic superhydrophobic materials (ER-MSM) with excellent mechanical strength, chemical stability, oil-water separation, stain liquids repellency, biocompatibility and excellent photothermal conversion capacity. The mechanical strength and hydrophobic durability of ER-MSM are improved by synchronously processes of bubbles impact, high temperature curing and chemical bonding of epoxy resin to form micropores. The prepared monolithic material can maintain water repellency even after sandpaper abrasion, ultrasonication, multiple knife scratch, finger wiping, and exposure to UV irradiation and high-temperature calcination. The biocompatibility of ER-MSM was further proved by the 95 % cell viability of the PC12 cells after contacting with ER-MSM for 70 min. ER-MSM has excellent photothermal conversion ability by dopamine coreaction in the one-pot synthesis procedure (named as PER-MSM). The photothermal conversion capacity of PER-MSM can be regulated by adjusting the concentration of dopamine. The surface temperature easily exceeds 70 °C after 808 nm laser irradiating for 200 s under power density of 1 W/cm2 and dopamine concentration larger than 10 mg/mL or under power density of 2 W/cm2 and dopamine concentration larger than 2 mg/mL. The alcohol-based reaction system without complex fabrication steps, expensive, or toxic fluoride, satisfies the environment-friendly requirements. Therefore, the prepared mechanochemically stable and photothermal superhydrophobic materials have great potential applications in oil-water separation, self-cleaning and other industrial fields.

Zwitterionic Sulfhydryl Sulfobetaine Stabilized Platinum Nanoparticles for Enhanced Dopamine Detection and Antitumor Ability.

Herein, three kinds of molecules were used to modify the surface of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) to tune their surface charge. Zwitterionic thiol-functionalized sulfobetaine (SH-SB) stabilized Pt NPs (SH-SB/Pt NPs) had the highest oxidase activity and peroxidase activity in the prepared platinum nanozymes due to the generation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, a colorimetric dopamine detection method was established based on the peroxidase activity of SH-SB/Pt NPs. This method had a wide range (0-120 μM), a low detection limit (0.244 μM), and high specificity. More importantly, SH-SB/Pt NPs displayed little hemolysis and good stability in the presence of proteins. SH-SB/Pt NPs demonstrated high cytotoxicity in vitro and good antitumor ability in vivo, which was attributed to the photothermal conversion ability of SH-SB/Pt NPs and the generation of reactive oxygen species in the acidic environment. The surface modification of nanozymes using zwitterionic molecules opens a new method to improve the catalytic activity and antitumor ability of nanozymes.

Nano-porous carbon-enabled composite phase change materials with high photo-thermal conversion performance for multi-function coating

Scale-up applications in solar energy storage of phase change materials (PCMs) are hindered by the limitation of solid-liquid leakage and lack of light absorption ability. Nano-porous carbon (NPC) with abundant light-trapping structures and high specific surface area was synthesized using attapulgite (ATP) with a rod-like fiber structure as a template and glucose as the carbon source. Novel composite form-stable PCMs (FSPCMs) were then prepared by impregnating stearic acid (SA) into the NPC to solve these limitations via a vacuum impregnation method. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the resulting composite FSPCMs possessed extremely high SA loading capacity (70.5–76.5%) and thermal storage density (160.7–166.5 J/g). Meanwhile, the effect of carbonization temperature on the photo-thermal conversion capacity of composite FSPCMs was studied. Raman and XPS results indicate that the number of carbon defect sites increase with increasing carbonization temperature. These carbon defect sites form the light-trapping structure that can enhance the internal reflection of light, further leading to the excellent photo-thermal conversion capacity of composite FSPCMs. NPC endows the composite FSPCMs with ultrahigh photo-thermal conversion efficiency (up to 94.5%). The composite FSPCMs without a significant change in latent heat enthalpy after 200 melting/freezing cycles implied satisfactory thermal reliability. In addition, a water-based solar heating coating was prepared with composite FSPCMs, which can effectively heat water under sunlight and make the water kept at a comfortable temperature for 21.7 min under no sunlight. Therefore, the prepared composite FSPCMs exhibit a promising application in the novel solar water heating systems. • A nano-porous carbon with abundant defects was designed to solve the leakage of PCMs. • SA/NPC possessed high loading capacity (70.5–76.5%) and thermal storage density (160.7–166.5 J/g). • SA/NPC still exhibited satisfactory thermal reliability after 200 cycles of melting and freezing. • Defects enable the SA/NPC to have ultrahigh photo-thermal conversion ability (94.5%). • A coating with integrated solar heating and thermoregulation functions was prepared by SA/NPC1000.

Camptothecin-Loaded and Manganese Dioxide-Coated Polydopamine Nanomedicine Used for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnosis and Chemo-Photothermal Therapy for Lung Cancer.

Camptothecin (CPT) is a cytotoxic quinolone alkaloid (isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine Camptotheca acuminata), used for the treatment of various malignancies, which inhibits DNA topoisomerase I (Topo I). However, its drawbacks, such as poor water solubility, stability, and highly toxic side effects, limit its clinical application. Therefore, CPT needs to be prepared as a nanomedicine to improve solubility, reduce side effects, and synergize with other therapies to improve efficacy. In this work, we constructed CPT NPs (nanoparticles), which were CPT-loaded and manganese dioxide (MnO2)-coated polydopamine (PDA) nanomedicine. In vitro, we explored the antitumor effect including CPT NPs-induced cell proliferation inhibition, apoptosis and ferroptosis for tumor cell lines. In vivo, we established LLC tumor-bearing mice model to evaluate their tumor imaging and anticancer effects. CPT NPs improve the water solubility and stability of CPT and reduce its toxic effects. It has good biocompatibility, excellent photothermal conversion ability for photothermal therapy (PTT) and pH release in the tumor microenvironment. It can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, induce apoptosis and result in ferroptosis of tumor cells. More significantly, this nanomedicine can provide information for the location and diagnosis of tumors via magnetic resonance imaging. In general, the nanomedicine integrated with diagnosis and treatment has excellent anticancer effect. Altogether, this nanomedicine possesses the ability to diagnose and therapy through magnetic resonance imaging and chemo-photothermal therapy, respectively. In addition, the integrated diagnosis and treatment nanomedicine has potential clinical application prospects through treating lung cancer with high efficiency and low side effect. It can support the construction of related nano-delivery systems.

Mesoporous nanoplatform integrating photothermal effect and enhanced drug delivery to treat breast cancer bone metastasis.

Bone metastatic breast cancer has severely threatened the survival and life quality of patients. Due to the suboptimal efficacy of anti-metastatic chemotherapeutic drugs and the complicated bone marrow microenvironments, effective treatment of metastatic breast cancer remains challenging for traditional clinical approaches. In this work, we developed a mesoporous nanoplatform (m-CuS-PEG) with the co-loading of CuS nanodots and a chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin for the combined photothermal-chemotherapy of bone-metastasized breast cancer. The CuS nanodots were decorated onto mesoporous silica (m-SiO2) surface with dendritic mesoporous channels, into which the cisplatin was accommodated. The carboxyl-terminated poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) was further functionalized onto the surface to obtain the functional nanoplatform m-CuS-PEG. The drug release of the loaded cisplatin exhibited pH- and thermal-dual responsive manner. The attached CuS nanodots rendered the mesoporous nanoplatform with high photothermal conversion ability. Upon irradiation with a near-infrared laser in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window, m-CuS-PEG dispersions exhibited rapid temperature elevation and high photostability. The results revealed that m-CuS-PEG had excellent biocompatibility. The cisplatin-loaded m-CuS-PEG not only showed superior cancer cell-killing effects, but also significantly inhibit the growth of metastatic tumors. The tumor-induced bone destruction was also dramatically attenuated by the mesoporous nanoplatform-mediated combined therapy. Overall, the developed functional nanoplatform integrates photothermal therapy and efficient chemotherapeutic drug delivery to offer an alternative approach for combating breast cancer bone metastasis.

O2 self-sufficient and glutathione-depleted nanoplatform for amplifying phototherapy synergistic thermodynamic therapy

Tumor hypoxia and high levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) significantly limit the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT). In addition, a single PDT treatment strategy is relatively insufficient to eliminate tumor, further limiting its application in biomedicine. Therefore, we demonstrated an omnipotent nanoplatform based on 2,2′-azobis [2-(2 imidazolin-2-yl)propane] dihydrochloride (AIPH) loaded manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoflower (abbreviated as MnO2-AIPH) with simultaneously self-supplying oxygen (O2), depleting GSH, performing PDT, photothermal (PTT) and thermodynamic therapy (TDT) for boosting antitumor effects. By 808 nm near infrared (NIR) light irradiation, MnO2-AIPH not only reveals highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and excellent photothermal conversion ability for PDT and PTT, but also generates alkyl radicals by decomposing AIPH for TDT simultaneously to eliminate tumor effectively. Once internalized into the tumor, MnO2 will be degraded to Mn2+ which catalyzes endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into O2 for enhanced PDT. Moreover, MnO2 can facilitate GSH oxidation to amplify oxidative stress, further enhancing ROS and alkyl radicals mediated cancer cell killing. In brief, this study provides a paradigm of antitumor efficiency amplification by the combination of sustained oxygen supply, potent GSH depletion, and phototherapy synergistic TDT.

Preparation of hierarchical porous microspheres composite phase change material for thermal energy storage concrete in buildings

Phase change materials with high latent heat significantly reduce building energy consumption. However, the serious leakage issue, low thermal conductivity, and the poor photothermal response utterly hinder their wide application in architecture. We reported an effective strategy for constructing hierarchical porous composite microspheres (PCN) through spray drying, calcination, and acid activation, using palygorskite (Pal) as the raw material. PCN presented a spherical hierarchical porous structure constructed by crosslinking Pal nanofibers and cellulose nanocrystals in a particular proportion. Paraffin-PCN (P-PCN) composite phase change materials (PCMs) with high shape stability, excellent photothermal conversion ability and latent heat storage capacity were synthesized. The heat preservation time of the P-PCN natural cooling from 35 °C to 30 °C is approximately twice that of the P-Pal. The P-PCN indicates obvious advantages in building thermal management, with the melting enthalpy promoted to 130.2 J/g. Further, the P-PCN-based building materials (P-PCN-B) with the P-PCN and the building aggregate maintain superior light-thermal energy conversion and thermal properties after multiple cycles. The P-PCN-B indicates outstanding mechanical properties (compression strength reaching 14.2 MPa) and flame-retarded properties. This work provides an innovative design strategy for developing multifunctional intelligent energy storage concrete and paves the way for the sustainable utilization of energy storage materials.

Photothermal properties of PLGA/graphene composite nanofiber membrane for potential anti-tumor application

Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and graphene (G) were selected as raw materials to prepare PLGA/G composite nanofiber membranes with different contents by electrospinning using NN dimethylformamide (DMF) and trichloromethane (TCM) as solvent. Different samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical measurement and photothermal analysis. Results demonstrated that graphene was physical scattered in the PLGA polymer matrix. The crystallization and mechanical tensile behaviors of PLGA/G composite nanofiber membranes were improved with graphene content. In addition, PLGA/G composite nanofiber membranes exhibited a rapid and steady photothermal conversion ability. It is anticipated that the proposed PLGA/G composite nanofiber membrane might be applied as a favorable tumor treatment candidate.

Development of upconversion-NMOFs nanocomposite conjugated with gold nanoparticles for NIR light-triggered combinational chemo-photothermal therapy

Having the unique ability to convert near-infrared (NIR) light to high-energy UV–vis radiation, upconversion nanoparticles are currently used in combinational therapy for the development of cancer theranostic approaches. The present work involves the strategy of a designed system based on gold nanoparticles deposited on upconversion nanoparticles via nanoscale metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs) of MIL-53(Fe). Herein, the NMOFs attached upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are not only capable of loading gold nanoparticles but also carrying anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil for imaging and combined photothermal/chemo therapy for boosted antitumor activity. The developed nanocomposite (UCNPs@MIL-53(Fe)@Au) possesses good stability as well as photothermal conversion ability. The nanocomposite can successfully convert NIR laser light (980 nm, 1.4 W/cm2) into heat, and also promote the release of 5-fluorouracil. This recognizes the synergistic chemo-photothermal treatment of cancer cells. Besides enhancing temperature via energy transfer to gold nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles are also utilized as a potential imaging agent. The in-vitro experiments show that the nanocomposite possesses good biocompatibility, and enhanced cellular uptake properties after attaching drug molecules. These findings may deliver a simple and effective way to develop a new type of synergistic chemo-photothermal transducers with high efficiency. We are confident that the nanocomposite (UCNPS@MIL-53(Fe)@Au) could open the door to design a significant multifunctional system for diverse applications in cancer treatment.