Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots with Renal Clearance Property for Efficient Photodynamic Therapy

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 14; no. 4
• Main Authors: Guo, Tao, Wu, Ying, Lin, Yan, Xu, Xin, Lian, Hao, Huang, Guoming, Liu, Ji‐Zan, Wu, Xiaoping, Yang, Huang‐Hao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.01.2018
• Subjects: Biocompatibility; black phosphorus; In vivo methods and tests; Light irradiation; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Phosphorus; Photodynamic therapy; photosensitizers; Quantum dots; renal clearance; Toxicity; quantum dots; renal clearance; black phosphorus; photosensitizers; photodynamic therapy
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201702815

Black phosphorus (BP) nanomaterials have emerged as rapidly rising stars in the field of nanomedicine. In this work, BP quantum dots (BPQDs) are synthesized and their potential as photosensitizers is investigated for the first time. The BPQDs present good stability in physiological medium and no appreciable cytotoxicity. More importantly, the BPQDs can be rapidly eliminated from the body in their intact form via renal clearance due to their ultrasmall hydrodynamic diameter (5.4 nm). Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that the BPQDs have excellent photodynamic effect under light irradiation that can effectively generate reactive oxygen species to kill cancer cells. The BPQDs thus can serve as biocompatible and powerful photosensitizers for efficient photodynamic therapy. Black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) exhibit an ultrasmall hydrodynamic diameter that can be excreted by renal clearance after intravenous injection. Furthermore, due to their unique electronic structure, BPQDs are found to be highly efficient photosensitizers to generate singlet oxygen, showing great potential for applications in photodynamic therapy.