Enhanced two-photon fluorescence imaging and therapy of cancer cells via Gold@bridged silsesquioxane nanoparticles

Abstract

A two-photon photosensitizer with four triethoxysilyl groups is synthesized through the click reaction. This photosensitizer allows the design of bridged silsesquioxane (BS) nanoparticles through a sol-gel process; moreover, gold core BS shells or BS nanoparticles decorated with gold nanospheres are synthesized. An enhancement of the two-photon properties is noted with gold and the nanoparticles are efficient for two-photon imaging and two-photon photodynamic therapy of cancer cells.

Keywords: bridged silsesquioxane; cancer cells; fluorescence imaging; gold nanoparticles; photodynamic therapy; two-photon fluorescence.