Superior Photothermal Conversion Efficiency Research Articles

Cobalt doped Prussian blue modified hollow polydopamine for enhanced antibacterial therapy

Give the emergence of drug resistance in bacteria resulting from antibiotic misuse, there is an urgent need for research and application of novel antibacterial approaches. In recent years, nanoparticles (NPs) have garnered significant attention due to their potential to disrupt bacteria cellular structure through loading drugs and special mechanisms, thus rendering them inactive. In this study, the surface of hollow polydopamine (HPDA) NPs was utilized for the growth of Prussian blue (PB), resulting in the formation of HPDA-PB NPs. Incorporation of Co element during the preparation process led to partial doping of PB with Co2+ ions. The performance test results demonstrated that the HPDA-PB NPs exhibited superior photothermal conversion efficiency and peroxidase-like activity compared to PB NPs. HPDA-PB NPs have the ability to catalyze the formation of hydroxyl radicals from H2O2 in a weakly acidic environment. Due to the tiny PB particles on the surface and the presence of Co2+ doping, they have strong broad-spectrum antibacterial properties. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations confirm their efficacy against various bacterial strains, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, and their potential to promote wound healing, making them a promising candidate for advanced wound care and antimicrobial applications.

Mild hyperthermia enhanced synergistic uric acid degradation and multiple ROS elimination for an effective acute gout therapy.

Acute gouty is caused by the excessive accumulation of Monosodium Urate (MSU) crystals within various parts of the body, which leads to a deterioration of the local microenvironment. This degradation is marked by elevated levels of uric acid (UA), increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, hypoxic conditions, an upsurge in pro-inflammatory mediators, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, we developed a multifunctional nanoparticle of polydopamine-platinum (PDA@Pt) to combat acute gout by leveraging mild hyperthermia to synergistically enhance UA degradation and anti-inflammatory effect. Herein, PDA acts as a foundational template that facilitates the growth of a Pt shell on the surface of its nanospheres, leading to the formation of the PDA@Pt nanomedicine. Within this therapeutic agent, the Pt nanoparticle catalyzes the decomposition of UA and actively breaks down endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce O2, which helps to alleviate hypoxic conditions. Concurrently, the PDA component possesses exceptional capacity for ROS scavenging. Most significantly, Both PDA and Pt shell exhibit absorption in the Near-Infrared-II (NIR-II) region, which not only endow PDA@Pt with superior photothermal conversion efficiency for effective photothermal therapy (PTT) but also substantially enhances the nanomedicine's capacity for UA degradation, O2 production and ROS scavenging enzymatic activities. This photothermally-enhanced approach effectively facilitates the repair of mitochondrial damage and downregulates the NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The multifunctional nanomedicine PDA@Pt exhibits exceptional efficacy in UA reduction and anti-inflammatory effects, presenting a promising potential therapeutic strategy for the management of acute gout.

Promising two-dimensional rhenium diselenide nanosheets: Facile Preparation, characterization, in vivo tumor photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy

Nanoagent-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) has been considered as an useful strategy for curing cancer. Nonetheless, identifying high-quality photothermal nanoagents with excellent biocompatibility testing, superior photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE), and high treatment efficacy, is still a key dilemma for performing practical application in biomedicine field. In our work, a novel photothermal nanoagent named two-dimensional (2D) colloidal rhenium diselenide (ReSe2) nanosheets was exfoliated via a facile liqiud-assisted exfoliation approach. Owing to surface functionalization with poly-ethylene glycol (PEG), the obtained PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets demonstrated good solubility and excellent biocompatibility. Notably, the PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets showed excellent near infrared (NIR) photothermal activity. For the radiation of an NIR laser at 808 nm, an ultrahigh PTCE of 81.3% was demonstrated. Owing to its high Re element and good photoacoustic effect, the PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets can serve as good contrast nanoagents for in vivo photoacoustic (PA) imaging. Furthermore, the PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets acted as excellent photothermal agents (PTAs) for performing PTT. Thanks to high photothermal effects of PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets, in vitro photothermal effects showed that, the mortality rate of 4T1 cells was almost 100%. Meanwhile, in vivo experiments showed that mouse tumors were 100% ablated. More importantly, the PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets exhibited negligible levels of toxicity, as demonstrated by in vivo cytotoxicity assays and histological analysis. Finally, changes in micro-RNA expression level was proposed to assess PTT treatment efficacy of PEG-ReSe2 nanoagent. Interestingly, the miRNAs such as miR-125b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-214–3p, miR-221–3p, miR-212–3p and miR-27b-3p, were down-regulated. In addiiton, the miRNAs including miR-451a, miR200c-3p, and miR-let-7d-3p, were up-regulated. More importantly, these obtained miRNAs can work as typical indicators for screening PTT outcomes of PEG-ReSe2 nanosheets-involved PTT. Our research suggested that, the PEG-ReSe2 nanoagent may represent potential therapeutic nanoagents for in vivo photoacoustic imaging and cancer therapy.

The Influence of Light-Generated Radicals for Highly Efficient Solar-Thermal Conversion in an Ultra-Stable 2D Metal-Organic Assembly.

Solar-thermal water evaporation is a promising strategy for clean water production, which needs the development of solar-thermal conversion materials with both high efficiency and high stability. Herein, we reported an ultra-stable cobalt(II)-organic assembly NKU-123 with light-generated radicals, exhibiting superior photothermal conversion efficiency and high stability. Under the irradiation of 808 nm light, the temperature of NKU-123 rapidly increases from 25.5 to 215.1 °C in 6 seconds. The solar water evaporator based on NKU-123 achieves a high solar-thermal water evaporation rate of 1.442 and 1.299 kg m-2 h-1 under 1-sun irradiation with a water evaporation efficiency of 97.8 and 87.9 % for pure water and seawater, respectively. A detailed mechanism study revealed that the formation of light-generated radicals leads to an increase of spin density of NKU-123 for enhancing the photothermal effect, which provides insights into the design of highly efficient photothermal materials.

The Influence of Light‐Generated Radicals for Highly Efficient Solar‐Thermal Conversion in an Ultra‐Stable 2D Metal‐Organic Assembly

AbstractSolar‐thermal water evaporation is a promising strategy for clean water production, which needs the development of solar‐thermal conversion materials with both high efficiency and high stability. Herein, we reported an ultra‐stable cobalt(II)‐organic assembly NKU‐123 with light‐generated radicals, exhibiting superior photothermal conversion efficiency and high stability. Under the irradiation of 808 nm light, the temperature of NKU‐123 rapidly increases from 25.5 to 215.1 °C in 6 seconds. The solar water evaporator based on NKU‐123 achieves a high solar‐thermal water evaporation rate of 1.442 and 1.299 kg m−2 h−1 under 1‐sun irradiation with a water evaporation efficiency of 97.8 and 87.9 % for pure water and seawater, respectively. A detailed mechanism study revealed that the formation of light‐generated radicals leads to an increase of spin density of NKU‐123 for enhancing the photothermal effect, which provides insights into the design of highly efficient photothermal materials.

Synergistic Inter‐ and Intramolecular Aggregation of Dimeric Cyanine Dyes Affords Highly Efficient In Vivo Self‐Delivery and Photothermal Therapy

AbstractAdvancing photothermal therapy hinges on developing PTAs with robust in vivo delivery and therapeutic efficacy. However, effective molecular design approaches for high‐performance PTAs remain lacking. Herein a strategic design of dimeric heptamethine cyanine (Cy7) molecules is presented, covalently linked via ortho/meta/para‐phenyldithiol. These designs facilitate spontaneous nanoparticle assembly in water, attributed to efficient intermolecular aggregation, enhancing in vivo delivery. Additionally, aggregation between intramolecular Cy7 units promotes superior photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 74.1% for meta‐dimer. Remarkably, the para‐dimer variant not only achieves a high PCE of 61.1% but also exhibits the most effective pharmacokinetic profile, leading to unparalleled anticancer efficacy in vivo. This dual aggregation strategy, leveraging both inter‐ and intramolecular dynamics, equips dimeric Cy7 with superior self‐delivery and photothermal efficacy, offering a promising approach for the next generation of photothermal therapeutics.

Tuning Shortwave‐Infrared J‐aggregates of Aromatic Ring‐Fused Aza‐BODIPYs by Peripheral Substituents for Combined Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapies at Ultralow Laser Power

AbstractAchieving photothermal therapy (PTT) at ultralow laser power density is crucial for minimizing photo‐damage and allowing for higher maximum permissible skin exposure. However, this requires photothermal agents to possess not just superior photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), but also exceptional near‐infrared (NIR) absorptivity. J‐aggregates, exhibit a significant redshift and narrower absorption peak with a higher extinction coefficient. Nevertheless, achieving predictable J‐aggregates through molecular design remains a challenge. In this study, we successfully induced desirable J‐aggregation (λabsmax: 968 nm, ϵ: 2.96×105 M−1 cm−1, λemmax: 972 nm, ΦFL: 6.2 %) by tuning electrostatic interactions between π‐conjugated molecular planes through manipulating molecular surface electrostatic potential of aromatic ring‐fused aza‐BODIPY dyes. Notably, by controlling the preparation method for encapsulating dyes into F‐127 polymer, we were able to selectively generate H‐/J‐aggregates, respectively. Furthermore, the J‐aggregates exhibited two controllable morphologies: nanospheres and nanowires. Importantly, the shortwave‐infrared J‐aggregated nanoparticles with impressive PCE of 72.9 % effectively destroyed cancer cells and mice‐tumors at an ultralow power density of 0.27 W cm−2 (915 nm). This phototherapeutic nano‐platform, which generates predictable J‐aggregation behavior, and can controllably form J‐/H‐aggregates and selectable J‐aggregate morphology, is a valuable paradigm for developing photothermal agents for tumor‐treatment at ultralow laser power density.

Tuning Shortwave-Infrared J-aggregates of Aromatic Ring-Fused Aza-BODIPYs by Peripheral Substituents for Combined Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapies at Ultralow Laser Power.

Achieving photothermal therapy (PTT) at ultralow laser power density is crucial for minimizing photo-damage and allowing for higher maximum permissible skin exposure. However, this requires photothermal agents to possess not just superior photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), but also exceptional near-infrared (NIR) absorptivity. J-aggregates, exhibit a significant redshift and narrower absorption peak with a higher extinction coefficient. Nevertheless, achieving predictable J-aggregates through molecular design remains a challenge. In this study, we successfully induced desirable J-aggregation (λabs max : 968 nm, ϵ: 2.96×105 M-1 cm-1 , λem max : 972 nm, ΦFL : 6.2 %) by tuning electrostatic interactions between π-conjugated molecular planes through manipulating molecular surface electrostatic potential of aromatic ring-fused aza-BODIPY dyes. Notably, by controlling the preparation method for encapsulating dyes into F-127 polymer, we were able to selectively generate H-/J-aggregates, respectively. Furthermore, the J-aggregates exhibited two controllable morphologies: nanospheres and nanowires. Importantly, the shortwave-infrared J-aggregated nanoparticles with impressive PCE of 72.9 % effectively destroyed cancer cells and mice-tumors at an ultralow power density of 0.27 W cm-2 (915 nm). This phototherapeutic nano-platform, which generates predictable J-aggregation behavior, and can controllably form J-/H-aggregates and selectable J-aggregate morphology, is a valuable paradigm for developing photothermal agents for tumor-treatment at ultralow laser power density.

Highly Efficient Solar Steam Generation and Desalination through Gourd‐Flesh Templated Polypyrrole Composite

Solar steam generation (SSG) is regarded as a promising technique due to its potential in seawater desalination. Photothermal conversion materials derived from biomass are good evaporators for SSG because of their sustainability and high efficiency. Herein, 3D‐cylindrical‐structured composite materials based on gourd flesh and polypyrrole (GPPY) are designed and used for high efficient SSG. The polypyrrole layer is deposited on the gourd flesh to provide broad optical absorption ability and high photothermal conversion efficiency. In addition, gourd flesh with porous structure can act as thermal insulators, confine the generated heat within the evaporative surface, and facilitate the efficient transport of water to the photothermally active area. Based on these characteristics of the composite, the evaporator made of GPPY can achieve a high evaporation rate of (1.63 kg m−2 h−1), and a superior photothermal conversion efficiency 95.8% under 1 solar irradiation (1 kW m−2). The GPPY can be expected to be a practical photothermal conversion material for commercial SSG based on its high efficiency and sustainability.

Facial preparation of porous SACB hydrogel beads for efficient solar interface evaporation

This work presented a highly efficient, porous and floatable sodium alginate/carbon black (SACB) gel beads by instantaneous gelation method for photothermal interfacial evaporation. We thoroughly examined how NaHCO3 and CB affect the performance of photothermal evaporation. As a consequence, the ideal porous SACB gel beads displayed an exceptional evaporation rate of 1.39 kg m−2 h−1 and a superior photothermal conversion efficiency of 97.76 % under 1 sun illumination. Additionally, the resulted SACB gel beads maintained good recyclability even after 10 repeated evaporation cycles, and the fresh water collected after evaporation complies with WHO and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The SACB gel beads developed in this work have a remarkable capacity for photothermal conversion and would be a strong contender for solar-powered seawater desalination.

Construction of IO-B-TiO2/In2O3 S-scheme heterojunction with photothermal effects and its highly efficient photocatalytic reduction of CO2 under full-spectrum light

The conversion of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuel and high-value chemical materials using solar energy is considered as a viable solution to the environmental pollution and the alleviation of the energy crisis. Herein, a black titanium dioxide/indium oxide S-scheme heterojunction (IO-B-TiO2/In2O3) with a three-dimensional porous inverse opal structure was prepared. In the photocatalytic reduction of CO2, IO-B-TiO2/In2O3 exhibited an excellent CO production rate (251.25 μmol·g−1·h−1), being 8.62 and 1.55 times of pure IO-TiO2 and IO-B-TiO2/In2O3 under non-photothermal conditions, respectively. A series of characterizations and theoretical calculations (DFT) systematically demonstrated that the excellent photocatalytic performance results from the full spectral response of the material, fast charge separation and transport efficiency, and superior photothermal conversion efficiency of the infrared light. This work will provide a promising insight to the design of S-scheme catalysts with outstanding photocatalytic performance via photothermal assistance and the improved solar energy conversion efficiency.

An acid-engineered sericin nanoplatform enhances photothermal conversion and chemotherapy outcome for inducing immunogenic cell death

Inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) by external-stimuli therapy holds great promise for cancer immunotherapy, however, hindered by widely-used photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) due to oxygen depletion that compromises their therapeutic effect. Herein, we report a natural sericin nanoparticle (denoted as SDINPs) as ICD-inducer based on photothermal therapy (PTT) to alleviate immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The sericin-based ICD-inducer comprises chemically conjugated pH-responsive chemotherapeutic drugs, doxorubicin (DOX), and a physically loaded photosensitizers, indocyanine green (ICG), the therapeutic ability of which can be specifically activated by non-invasive laser radiation. Compared to free molecules, nanostructured SDINPs exhibit superior photothermal conversion efficiency, prolonged blood circulation time, and enhanced tumor accumulation, retention, and penetration capabilities. As a result of these advantages, they demonstrate potent therapeutic efficacy and PTT-mediated ICD burst induction for antitumor immunity. This study presents a pH/photo-activatable combination strategy that provides a novel perspective for clinical cancer treatment.

Efficient antibiotic wastewater treatment via interfacial water evaporation based soot-coated conjugated microporous polymer hollow microspheres

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) technology holds the promise of purification and removal of organic pollutants from water samples. In this work, an efficient SDIE composed of multifunctional self-floating photothermal materials based on candle soot-coated conjugated microporous polymer hollow spheres (CS-CMPsHM) for treatment of tetracycline (TC) wastewater is reported. By depositing candle soot nanoparticles, CS-CMPsHM achieved excellent interfacial evaporation performance by extending the light absorption. Additionally, the π-π interaction between CMP's unique conjugated network and TC molecules and the well-developed porosity facilitates the capture of target contaminants. The synthesized CS-CMPsHM evaporator demonstrated remarkable properties, i.e., excellent photothermal performance (with superior photothermal conversion efficiency up to 94 % and evaporation rate of 1.55 kg m−2h−1 under one sun irradiation), extremely low wet thermal conductivity (0.075 W m-1K−1), reusability, superior salt resistance, stability, adsorption of pollutants and renewable performance. Furthermore, CS-CMPsHM remains its excellent purification performance from real water samples (the Yellow River) measured by a three-dimensional fluorescence spectrometer. The results of biological toxicity show that the purified water recovered by the SDIE method effectively reduced the phytotoxicity of TC. With its straightforward and scalable manufacturing process, our CS-CMPsHM demonstrates promising potential as advanced photothermal materials for the treatment of various pollutants using SDIE.

The Pan‐American NanoBiophotonics Team

AbstractThis invited Team Profile was created by the Zheng Lab (UHN, Toronto, Canada), the CEPOF BioPhotonics Lab (USP, São Carlos, Brazil), and the BiOPI Lab (UC Chile, Santiago, Chile). They recently published an article on an Indocyanine Green (ICG) nanoemulsion in which 100 % dimerization and J‐aggregation occurs spontaneously afford a nanostructured shell of dimeric ICG (Nano‐dICG). This material demonstrates superior photothermal conversion efficiency, photostability, and structure stability over ICG, giving an ultra‐stable phototheranostic platform for photoacoustic imaging and effective photothermal therapy. “Nanostructure‐Driven Indocyanine Green Dimerization Generates Ultra‐Stable Phototheranostics Nanoparticles”, N. Kwon, G. O. Jasinevicius, G. Kassab, L. Ding, J. Bu, L. P. Martinelli, V. G. Ferreira, A. Dhaliwal, H. H. L. Chan, Y. Mo, V. S. Bagnato, C. Kurachi, J. Chen, G. Zheng, H. H. Buzzá, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202305564.

The Pan-American NanoBiophotonics Team.

This invited Team Profile was created by the Zheng Lab (UHN, Toronto, Canada), the CEPOF BioPhotonics Lab (USP, São Carlos, Brazil), and the BiOPI Lab (UC Chile, Santiago, Chile). They recently published an article on an Indocyanine Green (ICG) nanoemulsion in which 100 % dimerization and J-aggregation occurs spontaneously afford a nanostructured shell of dimeric ICG (Nano-dICG). This material demonstrates superior photothermal conversion efficiency, photostability, and structure stability over ICG, giving an ultra-stable phototheranostic platform for photoacoustic imaging and effective photothermal therapy. "Nanostructure-Driven Indocyanine Green Dimerization Generates Ultra-Stable Phototheranostics Nanoparticles", N. Kwon, G. O. Jasinevicius, G. Kassab, L. Ding, J. Bu, L. P. Martinelli, V. G. Ferreira, A. Dhaliwal, H. H. L. Chan, Y. Mo, V. S. Bagnato, C. Kurachi, J. Chen, G. Zheng, H. H. Buzzá, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202305564.

Janus microbial membrane constructed by multiple biological self-assembly for photothermal conversion

Biological self-assembly as a kind of biological spontaneous behavior presents low energy consumption and high efficiency. In this work, biomass membrane is closely combined with carbon membrane derived from microorganism by biological self-assembly, forming Janus membrane (FAS-MC@M). The biomass-derived carbon membrane is endowed with superior photothermal conversion efficiency, also with the enhanced salt resistance via its hydrophobic nature and salt excretion domains. On the other hand, the biomass layer with good hydrophilicity and abundant capillary transport pipes ensure rapid water transfer to the Janus interface, conducing to stable heat exchange. The intrinsic micropores of the mycelium fiber can secure the reliable salt ion exchange between the tube water and bulk water during evaporation, which inhibit salt crystals formation as well. Meanwhile, biomass layer also reveals the relatively high thermal insulation properties, which can lower heat loss of the carbon membrane and improve the heat accumulation effect. For oily sewage, the biomass layer is also effective in protecting the photoheat exchange interface (carbon membrane) from oil pollution. In fact, the Janus evaporator in this work achieved 3.2 kg m-2h−1 evaporation rate under one solar intensity, showing desirable evaporation desalination potential.

MXene based Janus fabrics with radiative heating towards efficient personal thermal management

Smart textiles for personal thermal management achieved by regulating multi-wavelength radiative characteristics of fabrics are highly demanded since they are potentially energy efficient, convenient and even fashionable. Herein, we report a Janus fabric for radiative heating by taking full advantages of MXene’s dual characteristics of ultralow mid-infrared emission and high photothermal conversion ability. After brush-coating a MXene layer on one side of a commercial polyamide fabric substrate, the Janus fabric enables 3.4 ℃ temperature increase of the simulated skin by suppressing body radiation loss. Meanwhile, the Janus fabric demonstrates superior photothermal conversion efficiency (13%) and photothermal heating performance, achieving 14.2 ℃ temperature increase under one sun irradiation. By virtue of the robust substrate and lightweight coating, the Janus fabric possesses satisfactory wearability (i.e., mechanical strength, flexibility, permeability), making the fabric be able to heat human body in practical uses. The efficient and durable Janus fabric provides a great potential of future all-day personal thermal management fabrics which can be applied in wide scenarios.

NIR-II photo-amplified peroxidase-like activity using biocatalytic copper-based nanoplatform against subcutaneous methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been associated with significant mortality and longer hospital stays. Artificial nanozymes not requiring antibiotics can generate enough reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill bacteria. In this study, we synthesized hexagonal copper sulfide nanosheets (CuS NSs) using a modified one-pot synthesis. The CuS NSs demonstrated photothermal stability and superior photothermal conversion efficiency due to large surface area and existence in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window (1270 nm), promoting the production of ROS. Upon NIR-II irradiation, CuS NSs displayed an excellent biocatalytic antibacterial role in vitro and accelerated abscess resolution, and enhanced the recovery of MRSA-infected wounds in vivo. Moreover, CuS NSs demonstrated negligible toxicity following an amplifying peroxidase-like activity through hyperthermia. Overall, CuS NSs provide a feasible strategy for using the synergistic therapeutic platform for effective therapy of deep-seated MRSA-infected wounds.

Patterned nanofibrous membrane via hot-pressing for enhanced solar thermal evaporation

Composited fibrous membrane has been demonstrated as a type of versatile and efficient photothermal material to produce fresh water by solar thermal desalination, but still suffers from some shortages such as weak mechanical property for reusability and insufficient investigations on the microstructure regulation for higher evaporation performance. In this work, a self-supported carbon black/polyacrylonitrile (CB/PAN) membrane with irregular patterns was facilely manufactured by simple hot-pressing (hp-CB/PAN) for highly efficient solar thermal evaporation. The hot-pressing induces the densification of the nanofibrous membrane and melt adhesion of partial membrane surface, leading to significant increase of the mechanical property and certain improvement of water diffusion, but no detected change of the nanofibrous components. Moreover, the hp-CB/PAN possesses optical absorption of 99.1% over the entire wavelength range of 250–2500 nm. Accordingly, the hp-CB/PAN exhibits an excellent evaporation rate of 1.33 kg m−2 h−1 and a superior photothermal conversion efficiency of 86% under one sun illumination (1000 W m−2), which are much higher than those of 1.27 kg m−2 h−1 and 82.8% for CB/PAN. The obtained hp-CB/PAN can also be utilized for purifying organic polluted solution and repeatedly solar thermal evaporation without attenuation of the evaporation performance.

Immunoinducible Carbon Dot-Incorporated Hydrogels as a Photothermal-Derived Antigen Depot to Trigger a Robust Antitumor Immune Response.

Immunogenic tumor cell death (ICD) induced by photothermal therapy (PTT) fails to elicit a robust antitumor immune response partially due to its inherent immunosuppressive microenvironment and poor antigen presentation. To address these issues, we developed an immunoinducible carbon dot-incorporated hydrogel (iCD@Gel) through a dynamic covalent Schiff base reaction using mannose-modified aluminum-doped carbon dots (M/A-CDs) as a cross-linking agent. The M/A-CDs possessed superior photothermal conversion efficiency and served as nanocarriers to load cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) for inducing the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) via mannose receptor-mediated targeting delivery. Upon intratumoral injection, the as-prepared iCD@Gel induced ICD, and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) were released via photothermal ablation under 808 nm NIR irradiation. Subsequently, the iCD@Gel synergized with the DAMPs to significantly promote the maturation and antigen cross-presentation ability of DCs. This work provides a promising strategy to develop carbon dot-based therapeutic hydrogels for photothermal therapy and immune activation.