Antimonene Nanosheets-Based Z-Scheme Heterostructure with Enhanced Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency for Photonic Therapy of Cancer

Yong Kang; Zhengjun Li; Yanli Yang; Zhiguo Su; Xiaoyuan Ji; Songping Zhang

doi:10.1002/adhm.202001835

Antimonene Nanosheets-Based Z-Scheme Heterostructure with Enhanced Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency for Photonic Therapy of Cancer

Adv Healthc Mater. 2021 Feb;10(3):e2001835. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202001835. Epub 2020 Nov 16.

Authors

Yong Kang^{1

2}, Zhengjun Li¹, Yanli Yang¹, Zhiguo Su¹, Xiaoyuan Ji³, Songping Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
² School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China.
³ School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.

PMID: 33200585
DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001835

Abstract

A Z-scheme heterojunction with high separation efficiency of photogenerated electrons and holes and enhanced reduction/oxidation potentials, which can enhance reactive oxygen species generation and photothermal conversion efficiency, exhibits tremendous potential in photonic theranostics. Herein, antimonene nanosheets (Sb NSs) are functionalized with photosensitizer 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-21H,12H-porphine (THPP) and a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) modifier. The Sb-THPP-PEG NSs thus fabricated are found to form a Z-scheme heterojunction structure between Sb and THPP, based on their valence band and bandgap level analysis. The Z-scheme heterojunction structure enables the Sb-THPP-PEG NSs multiple promising features for cancer therapy. Firstly, due to improved electron-hole pairs separation efficiency and redox potential, new reactive oxygen species •O₂^- is generated, besides the production of ¹ O₂ by THPP. Secondly, the assembly of THPP enhances the NIR-light-to-heat conversion of Sb NS, a photothermal conversion efficiency as high as 44.6% is obtained by this Sb-THPP-PEG NSs photonic nanomedicine. Moreover, the photothermal, fluorescent, and photoacoustic imaging properties of Sb-THPP-PEG NSs allow multimodal imaging-guided tumor treatment.

Keywords: Z-scheme heterojunction; antimonene; nanomedicine; photodynamic therapy; photothermal therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Nanomedicine
Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Photochemotherapy*
Photosensitizing Agents / therapeutic use
Reactive Oxygen Species

Substances

Photosensitizing Agents
Reactive Oxygen Species