ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
5 years ago

Exceptionally High Payload of the IR780 Iodide on Folic Acid-Functionalized Graphene Quantum Dots for Targeted Photothermal Therapy

Exceptionally High Payload of the IR780 Iodide on Folic Acid-Functionalized Graphene Quantum Dots for Targeted Photothermal Therapy
Shuhua Li, Yunchao Li, Xiaohong Li, Shihe Yang, Shixin Zhou, Louzhen Fan, Jia Zhu
The IR780 iodide (IR780) is recognized as an effective theranostic agent for simultaneous near-infrared fluorescence imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT). However, the rigid chloro-cyclohexenyl ring makes IR780 insoluble in almost all pharmaceutically acceptable solvents, which inevitably limits its clinical application. We report folic acid (FA)-functionalized graphene quantum dots (GQDs-FA) containing a large and intact sp2 domain with carboxyl groups around the edge. Such GQDs-FA possess exceptionally high loading capacity for IR780 via strong π–π stacking interactions, and the water solubility of IR780 is improved by over 2400-fold after loading onto GQDs-FA (IR780/GQDs-FA). IR780/GQDs-FA with an improved photostability, an enhanced tumor-targeting ability, and a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 87.9% were capable of producing sufficient hyperthermia to effectively kill cancer cells and completely eradicate tumors upon 808 nm laser irradiation. The present IR780/GQDs-FA may open up great opportunities for the effective PTT to treat cancer.

Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b07267

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b07267

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