Fe3O4 nanoparticles entrapped in the inner surfaces of N-doped carbon microtubes with enhanced biomimetic activity.

Tubular structured composites have attracted great interest in catalysis research owing to their void-confinement effects. In this work, we synthesized a pair of hollow N-doped carbon microtubes (NCMTs) with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated inside NCMTs (Fe3O4@NCMTs) and supported outside NCMTs (NCMTs@Fe3O4) while keeping other structural features the same. The impact of structural effects on the catalytic activities was investigated by comparing a pair of hollow-structured nanocomposites. It was found that the Fe3O4@NCMTs possessed a higher peroxidase-like activity when compared with NCMTs@Fe3O4, demonstrating structural superiority of Fe3O4@NCMTs. Based on the excellent peroxidase-like catalytic activity and stability of Fe3O4@NCMTs, an ultra-sensitive colorimetric method was developed for the detection of H2O2 and GSH with detection limits of 0.15 µM and 0.49 µM, respectively, which has potential application value in biological sciences and biotechnology.

Multi-level Reactive Oxygen Species Amplifier to Enhance Photo-/Chemo-Dynamic/Ca2+ Overload Synergistic Therapy.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-involved photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) hold great promise for tumor treatment. However, hypoxia, insufficient H2O2, and overexpressed glutathione (GSH) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) hinder ROS generation significantly. Herein, we reported CaO2@Cu-TCPP/CUR with O2/H2O2/Ca2+ self-supply and GSH depletion for enhanced PDT/CDT and Ca2+ overload synergistic therapy. CaO2 nanospheres were first prepared and used as templates for guiding the coordination between the carboxyl of tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine (TCPP) and Cu2+ ions as hollow CaO2@Cu-TCPP, which facilitated GSH-activated TCPP-based PDT and Cu+-mediated CDT. The hollow structure was then loaded with curcumin (CUR) to form CaO2@Cu-TCPP/CUR composites. Cu-TCPP prevented degradation of CaO2, while Cu2+ ions reacted with GSH to deplete GSH, produce Cu+ ions, and release TCPP, CaO2, and CUR. CaO2 reacted with H2O to generate O2, H2O2, and Ca2+ to achieve O2/H2O2/Ca2+ self-supply for TCPP-based PDT, Cu+-mediated CDT, and CUR-enhanced Ca2+ overload therapy. Thus, this multilevel ROS amplifier enhances synergistic therapy with fewer side effects and drug resistance.

Interfacing Ag2S Nanoparticles and MoS2 Nanosheets on Polypyrrole Nanotubes with Enhanced Catalytic Performance.

The tubular architecture with multiple components can bring synergistic effects to improve the enzyme-like activity of molybdenum-based nanomaterials. Here, a facile polypyrrole (PPy)-protected hydrothermal sulfidation process was implemented to engineer MoS2/Ag2S heterointerfaces encapsulated in one-dimensional (1D) PPy nanotubes with MoO3@Ag nanorods as the self-sacrificing precursor. Notably, the sulfidation treatment led to the generation of MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) and Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) and the creation of a tubular structure with a "kill three birds with one stone" role. The Ag2S/MoS2@PPy nanotubes showed the synergistic combined effects of Ag2S NPs, MoS2 NSs, and the 1D tube-like nanostructure. Based on the synergistic effects from these multiple components and the tubular structure, Ag2S/MoS2@PPy nanocomposites were used as a colorimetric sensing platform for detecting H2O2. Moreover, the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) revealed excellent catalytic activity in the presence of NaBH4 and Ag2S/MoS2@PPy nanocomposites. This work highlights the effects of MoS2/Ag2S heterointerfaces and the hierarchical tubular structure in catalysis, thereby providing a new avenue for reducing 4-NP and the enzyme-like catalytic field.

Co, Fe Dual-Doped MoS2 Nanosheets on Polypyrrole Microtubes as Effective Peroxidase Mimics for Glutathione Sensing.

Heteroatom doping is considered an effective way to enhance the catalytic activity of MoS2 nanosheets (NSs). In the paper, dual-metal doping was proposed to incorporate Fe and Co into hierarchical MoS2 ultrathin NSs, which grew directly on polypyrrole microtubes (Fe, Co-MoS2@PPy), for the enhanced enzyme-like catalytic reaction. The particular hollow tubular structure realized effective electron transfer. The doped Fe and Co tuned the electronic architecture of the MoS2 NSs to enhance the enzyme-like catalytic activity. The abundant exposed void spaces facilitated ion diffusion/penetration between the PPy interlayer and Fe-Co doped MoS2 shell, leading to heterostructured synergistic effects. Therefore, the synthesized Fe and Co-MoS2@PPy composites showed remarkable catalytic activity. The high catalytic efficiency of Fe and Co-MoS2@PPy was confirmed with the reaction of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H2O2 for visible detection. The blue color disappeared after adding glutathione (GSH). Thus, this procedure was used as a convenient way to detect GSH with a detection limit of 0.76 µM. The dual-metal-doped strategy was confirmed to improve the performance of MoS2 nanocomposites and could be used as a promising matrix for other applications, such as electrochemical energy conversion, medical diagnosis, and others.

"Three-in-One" Nanozyme Composite for Augmented Cascade Catalytic Tumor Therapy.

Cascade catalytic reaction exhibits simple procedure and high efficiency, such as that from the orderly assembly of different enzymes in biological systems. Mimicking of the natural cascade procedure becomes critical, but the orderly assembly of different enzymes is still challenging. Herein, single Au-Pt nanozyme is reported with "three-in-one" functions to initiate cascade conversions for O2 supply as mimic catalase, H2 O2 production with its glucose oxidase-like property, and • OH generation as mimic peroxidase for chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Thus, the complex assembly and cross-talk among the different enzymes are avoided. To this end, metastable Cu2 O NPs, as scaffolds, are used to anchor ultrasmall Au-Pt nanozyme, while metal-organic framework (MOF) is used to encapsulate the nanozyme for tumor microenvironment response and shielding protein adsorption. Pluronic F127 is then modified on the surface to improve hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of the composite. The endogenous acidity and glutathione in tumor degrade MOF to expose nanozyme for cascade catalytic CDT. The high photothermal conversion ability also enhances the CDT, while Cu2+ ions consume GSH to further improve CDT efficiency as augmented cascade catalytic tumor therapy. Thus, a new paradigm is provided with drug-free single nanozyme for improving tumor therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects.

Hierarchical microtubes constructed using Fe-doped MoS2 nanosheets for biosensing applications.

The structural design of multiple functional components could enhance the synergistic catalytic performance of MoS2-based composites in enzyme-like catalysis. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) Fe-MoS2 microtubes were designed to prepare tubular Fe-doped MoS2 composites with MoO3 microrods as self-sacrificing precursors. Remarkably, the results indicated that the generated ammonia released from the sulfidation process led to the dissolution of MoO3 cores and the generation of a tubular structure. The Fe-MoS2 composites integrated the synergistic effects of Fe-doped MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) and the 1D tubular structure. Thus, a higher catalytic activity was observed in peroxidase-like catalysis than in other components, such as MoO3@FeOOH, FeOOH and MoS2 NSs. The peroxidase-like mechanism originated from the generation of the ˙OH radical. The Fe-MoS2 microtube-based colorimetric assay was used to detect H2O2 with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.51 µM in a linear range from 1.25 to 50 µM. The colorimetric method was simple, selective, and sensitive for glutathione (GSH) detection in the range of 0.25-125 µM with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.12 µM. Thus, we provide a facile synthetic strategy for simultaneously integrating electronic modulation and structural design to develop an efficient MoS2-based functional catalyst.

Mixed-Ligand Metal-Organic Frameworks for All-in-One Theranostics with Controlled Drug Delivery and Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

Mixed-ligand metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) multiply the properties and improve the versatility of conventional MOFs for theranostic applications. A tumor targeting and tumoral microenvironment-responsive system is significant for specific and efficient cancer theranostics. Herein, we report a kind of versatile mixed-porphyrin ligand MOF as a multifunctional matrix for multimodality-imaging-guided synergistic therapy. Tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) shows the properties of fluorescence (FL) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), while Mn-TCPP owns magically the properties of T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and photothermal conversion for photothermal imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT). Because of the same coordination capacity and mode of TCPP and Mn-TCPP to Zr4+ ions, MOFs with adjustable ligand ratios were easily prepared. The mixed-ligand MOFs exhibited a high drug loading capacity for 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT, 65%). After modification with hyaluronic acid (HA) through a disulfide bond (-S-S-), the MOF-S-S-HA composites possess enhanced PDT and tumor-targeted redox-responsive drug release properties due to the -S-S- bond. Thus, excellent fluorescence, MR, and photothermal trimodality imaging, redox-responsive drug release, and enhanced PDT/PTT are integrated together in the mixed-ligand MOFs as "all-in-one" theranostic agents.

Coupled nickel-cobalt nanoparticles/N,P,S-co-doped carbon hybrid nanocages with high performance for catalysis and protein adsorption.

Carbon-supported bimetallic NiCo nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as attractive catalysts and adsorbents for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and separation of histidine-rich (His-rich) protein recently due to their low cost, high catalytic activity and good affinity for His-rich protein. In this study, new strongly coupled nickel-cobalt alloy/N,P,S co-doped carbon (NPSC) nanocages are rationally designed via chemical etching of the ZIF-67 dodecahedron with Ni2+ under sonication at room temperature, followed by poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4'-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS) coating and subsequent carbonization treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere. When evaluated as a catalyst for 4-NP or an adsorbent for His-rich protein, the as-prepared NiCo@NPSC nanocages obtained at 700 °C show better performance than those obtained at other temperatures (500 and 900 °C). This improved catalytic effect is attributed to the controllable size and fine distribution of the NiCo NPs together with the effective contact between the catalysts and the N,P,S co-doped carbon matrix, leading to a superior catalytic effect on the reduction of 4-NP and the adsorption of His-rich protein. This catalyst design principle can be easily extended to other catalysis research fields.

Triple cascade nanocatalyst with laser-activatable O2 supply and photothermal enhancement for effective catalytic therapy against hypoxic tumor.

Nanozymes have been combined with glucose oxidase (GOx) for dual-enzyme cascade catalytic therapy. However, their catalysis efficiency is restricted because of the hypoxia tumor microenvironment (TME). Although many methods are developed for O2 supply, the O2 leakage and consumption of H2O2 compromised their practical application. Herein, a biocompatible carbon nitride (C3N4)/nanozyme/GOx triple cascade nanocatalyst was designed with laser-activatable O2 self-supply via water splitting to relieve tumor hypoxia and thus improve the catalysis efficiency. To this end, polydopamine (PDA) nanosphere was prepared and attached with C3N4 nanosheet to improve water splitting efficiency and realize photothermal-enhanced catalysis, simultaneously. The PDA@C3N4 composite was then coated with MIL-100 (Fe), where GOx was loaded, to form C3N4/MIL-100/GOx triple cascade nanocatalyst. The triple cascade catalysis was realized with laser-activatable O2 supply from PDA@C3N4, H2O2 generation with GOx, and •OH production from peroxidase-like MIL-100 (Fe) for tumor therapy. Upon 808 nm irradiation, PDA, as a photothermal agent, realized photothermal therapy and enhanced the catalytic therapy. Thus, the synergy of laser-activatable O2 supply and photothermal enhancement in our triple cascade nanocatalyst improved the performance of catalytic therapy without drug resistance and toxicity to normal tissues.

In Situ Construction of Co-MoS2/Pd Nanosheets on Polypyrrole-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Microtubes as Multifunctional Catalysts with Enhanced Catalytic Performance.

The structural design of multiple functional components could integrate synergistic effects to enhance the catalytic performance of MoS2-based composites for catalytic applications. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) Co-MoS2/Pd@NCMTs composites were designed to prepare Co-doped MoS2/Pd nanosheets (NSs) on N-doped carbon microtubes (NCMTs) from tubular polypyrrole (PPy) as multifunctional catalysts. The Co-MoS2/Pd@NCMTs composites integrated the synergistic effects of Co-doping, a 1D tubular structure, and noble-metal Pd decoration. Thus, a higher catalytic activity was observed in 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) reduction and peroxidase-like catalysis than other components, such as MoS2, MoS2@NCMTs, and Co-MoS2@NCMTs. Remarkably, the results indicated that the dissolution, diffusion, and redistribution led to the dissolution of MoO3@ZIF-67 cores and generation of Co-doped MoS2 NSs. Benefiting from the synergistic effect from these components, Co-MoS2/Pd@NCMTs were considered as a facile colorimetric sensing platform for detecting tannic acid. Moreover, outstanding performance was realized in the reduction of 4-NP with the composites. Thus, we provide a simple synthetic strategy for simultaneously integrating electronic engineering and structural advantages to develop an efficient MoS2-based multifunctional catalyst.

MOF@COFs with Strong Multiemission for Differentiation and Ratiometric Fluorescence Detection.

Aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) is often observed in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for their low emission. Here, we propose that limited COF layers form on UiO-66 to eliminate the ACQ by the formation of UiO@COF composites. UiO-66 is selected because this metal-organic framework (MOF) is easily prepared in nanosize with Zr4+ ion and 2-aminoterephthalic acid (BDC-NH2). The high affinity of the Zr4+ ion to phosphate species improves sensing selectivity. The surface -NH2 reacts with 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) to integrate COF1 and COF2, which are prepared with Tp and phenylenediamine or tetraamino-tetraphenylethylene, respectively. The hydrogen bond formed between the hydroxyl group in Tp and imine nitrogen realizes excited-state intramolecular proton transfer; therefore, multiemission is observed from the enol and keto states of the COFs and UiO-66 at 360, 470, and 613 nm for UiO@COF1 and at 370, 470, and 572 nm for UiO@COF2. When phosphate ion is added in the composites, the emissions from the COFs keep stable, while that from UiO-66 is enhanced. However, adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) improves the emissions from UiO-66 and COF's enol state, but that from the keto state keeps stable. The differentiation and ratiometric fluorescence detection of ATP and phosphate ion are therefore realized with the multiemission, the affinity of Zr4+ ions, and the structural selectivity of the COFs. Thus, UiO@COF is a novel strategy to integrate multiemission, affinity, and structural selectivity to improve the sensing performance for differentiation and ratiometric detection.

Computed Tomography Imaging-Guided Tandem Catalysis-Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy with Gold Nanoparticle Functional Covalent Organic Polymers.

Tandem catalysis from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to oxygen (O2) and then to singlet oxygen (1O2) is a convenient way to overcome the hypoxic environment of the tumor for efficient cancer therapy. In this work, meso-tetrakis(4-carboxyl)-21H,23H-porphine (TCPP) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) functional gold nanoparticles (CD-AuNPs) are integrated together with a brushy covalent organic polymer (COP-8) to form COP@Au@TCPP nanocomposites. The brushy red emissive COP-8 was prepared with 9,9-dioctyl-2,7-diaminofluorene and 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol through a simple Schiff base reaction and acts as a sensor to monitor the material transfer and location in tumor cells. The n-octyl groups on the surface of COP-8 act as hooks to load CD-AuNPs via hydrophobic interaction, while the ß-CD improves the biocompatibility of the whole COP@Au@TCPP. The COP@Au@TCPP nanocomposites aggregate efficiently in the tumor site through enhanced permeability and retention effect. The CD-AuNPs act as catalyzers to decompose H2O2 into O2 in tumor cells. Then, TCPPs on COP@Au@TCPP sensitize O2 to form 1O2 under 655 nm radiation for efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT). In combination with the X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging capacity of CD-AuNPs, the CT-imaging-guided PDT system was successfully prepared. The imaging information, in turn, shows the tandem catalysis PDT efficiency of the COP@Au@TCPP. This work paves the way for the preparation of an imaging-guided therapy system with COP as a matrix to ingrate various biocompatibility components.

GSH-activated MRI-guided enhanced photodynamic- and chemo-combination therapy with a MnO2-coated porphyrin metal organic framework.

Glutathione (GSH) in tumors consumes 1O2 and seriously inhibits the PDT effect. MnO2-coated porphyrin metal-organic frameworks are developed to realize the oxidation of GSH by MnO2 for enhanced PDT, activated MR imaging, and controllable release of DOX as magnetic resonance imaging guided drug-PDT dual-therapy.

Smart Metal-Organic Framework-Based Nanoplatforms for Imaging-Guided Precise Chemotherapy.

Good biocompatibility, active tumor targeting, and stimulus-responsive release offer great opportunity for precise imaging-guided tumor treatment. However, the current strategies for the fabrication of smart theranostic platforms suffer from tedious synthesis processes. Here, we propose a universal and facile strategy for the fabrication of smart nanoscale metal-organic framework (NMOF)-based nanoplatforms for imaging-guided precise chemotherapy. As a proof of concept, 5-boronobenzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (BBDC), as a versatile ligand, was employed for the first time with Gd3+ as metal nodes to prepare a smart magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided drug-delivery system. Specific reversible diol-borate condensation enables effortless coating of glucose on the NMOFs to improve their biocompatibility. The specific interaction between glucose and glucose-transported protein ensures active tumor-targeting ability. Moreover, the glucose layer, as a pH-responsive diol-borate gatekeeper, prevents the premature leakage of drugs. The proposed smart theranostic nanoplatform was well used in MR imaging-guided tumor-targeted precise chemotherapy. This strategy is simply extended to the design of other MOF-glucose composites for diverse applications, such as X-ray computed tomography imaging of gastrointestinal tract with Yb-MOFs-Glu. BBDC, as a functional ligand, provides a simple and universal way to fabricate smart NMOF theranostic platforms with multifunction as "three birds with one stone". The facile and universal strategy lays down a new way to develop multifunctional nanoagents for precision medicine.

An "all-in-one" antitumor and anti-recurrence/metastasis nanomedicine with multi-drug co-loading and burst drug release for multi-modality therapy.

Drug-loading often suffers from tedious procedures, limited loading efficiency, slow release, and therefore a low curative effect. Cancer easily recurs and metastasizes even after a solid tumor is removed. Herein, we report a simple strategy with multi-drug co-loading and burst drug release for a high curative effect and anti-recurrence/metastasis. CuS nanoparticles, protoporphyrin IX, and doxorubicin were added to the precursors of ZIF-8 with one-pot co-loading during the formation of ZIF-8 for chemo-, photothermal-, and photodynamic-therapy to eliminate solid tumors. Negative CpG, as a kind of immune adjuvant, was adsorbed on the positive surface of ZIF-8 to inhibit the recurrence and metastasis of tumors with its long-term immune response. Precision treatment with one-pot multi-drug co-loading, controllable drug delivery, and multi-modality therapy may be anticipated by this versatile strategy.

Theranostic Mn-Porphyrin Metal-Organic Frameworks for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Nitric Oxide and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy.

Chemotherapy remains restricted by its toxic adverse effects and resistance to drugs. The treatment of nitric oxide (NO) combined with imaging-guided physical therapy is a promising alternative for clinical applications. Herein, we report nanoscale metal-organic framework (NMOF) systems to integrate magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, spatiotemporally controllable NO delivery, and photothermal therapy (PTT) as a new means of cancer theranostics. As a proof of concept, the NMOFs are prepared with biocompatible Zr4+ ions and Mn-porphyrin as a bridging ligand. By inserting paramagnetic Mn ions into porphyrin rings, Mn-porphyrin renders the NMOFs strong T1-weighted MR contrast capacity and high photothermal conversion for efficient PTT. S-Nitrosothiol (SNO) is conjugated to the surfaces of the NMOFs for heat-sensitive NO generation. Moreover, single near-infrared (NIR) light triggers the controllable NO release and PTT simultaneously for their efficient synergistic therapy with one-step operation. Upon intravenous injection, NMOF-SNO shows effective tumor accumulation as exposed by the MR images of the tumor-bearing mice. When exposed to the NIR laser, the tumors of mice injected with NMOF-SNO are completely inhibited, verifying the efficiency of NMOF-SNO. For the first time, Mn-porphyrin NMOFs are developed to be an effective theranostic system for MR imaging-guided controllable NO release and photothermal synergetic therapy under single NIR irradiation.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Multi-Drug Chemotherapy and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy with pH and NIR-Stimulation Release.

The combination of multidrug chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT) enhances cancer therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we develop a simple and smart pH/NIR dual-stimulus-responsive degradable mesoporous CoFe2O4@PDA@ZIF-8 sandwich nanocomposite. The mesoporous CoFe2O4 core acts as T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging probe, PTT agent, and loading platform of hydrophilic doxorubicin (DOX). A polydopamine (PDA) layer is used to avoid the premature leakage of DOX before arriving at tumor site, enhance PTT efficiency, and facilitate the integration of ZIF-8 (a kind of metal-organic framework). The ZIF-8 shell serves to encapsulate hydrophobic camptothecin (CPT) and as the switch for the pH and NIR stimulation-responsive release of the two drugs. Therefore, T2-weighted MR imaging-guided multidrug chemotherapy and PTT synergistic treatment is achieved. Two kinds of anticancer drugs, hydrophilic DOX and hydrophobic CPT, are successfully loaded in CoFe2O4 and ZIF-8, respectively, so no mutual interference between the two drugs exists. A unique two-stage stepwise release process is exhibited for CPT and DOX with an interval of 12 h to improve the anticancer efficacy under the acidic microenvironment of tumor tissue. NIR irradiation achieves the burst drug-release and PTT after laser stimulation, simultaneously. With this smart design, high drug concentration is achieved at the tumor site by quick release, especially for the therapeutic drugs that show nonlinear pharmacokinetics, and PTT is integrated efficiently. Furthermore, negligible biotoxicity and a remarkable synergic antitumor effect of the hybrid nanocomposites are validated by HepG2 cells and tumor-bearing mice as models. Our multidrug delivery-releasing composite improves tumor therapeutic efficiency significantly compared with a single-drug chemotherapy system. The simple multifunctional composite system can be applied as an effective platform for personal nanomedicine with diagnosis, smart drug delivery, and cancer treatment through its remarkable photothermal property and controllable multidrug release.

Fluorescence and Magnetic Resonance Dual-Modality Imaging-Guided Photothermal and Photodynamic Dual-Therapy with Magnetic Porphyrin-Metal Organic Framework Nanocomposites.

Phototherapy shows some unique advantages in clinical application, such as remote controllability, improved selectivity, and low bio-toxicity, than chemotherapy. In order to improve the safety and therapeutic efficacy, imaging-guided therapy seems particularly important because it integrates visible information to speculate the distribution and metabolism of the probe. Here we prepare biocompatible core-shell nanocomposites for dual-modality imaging-guided photothermal and photodynamic dual-therapy by the in situ growth of porphyrin-metal organic framework (PMOF) on Fe3O4@C core. Fe3O4@C core was used as T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT) agent. The optical properties of porphyrin were well remained in PMOF, and PMOF was therefore selected for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and fluorescence imaging. Fluorescence and MR dual-modality imaging-guided PTT and PDT dual-therapy was confirmed with tumour-bearing mice as model. The high tumour accumulation of Fe3O4@C@PMOF and controllable light excitation at the tumour site achieved efficient cancer therapy, but low toxicity was observed to the normal tissues. The results demonstrated that Fe3O4@C@PMOF was a promising dual-imaging guided PTT and PDT dual-therapy platform for tumour diagnosis and treatment with low cytotoxicity and negligible in vivo toxicity.

Fluorescent Imaging-Guided Chemotherapy-and-Photodynamic Dual Therapy with Nanoscale Porphyrin Metal-Organic Framework.

Imaging-guided therapy systems (IGTSs) are revolutionary techniques used in cancer treatment due to their safety and efficiency. IGTSs should have tunable compositions for bioimaging, a suitable size and shape for biotransfer, sufficient channels and/or pores for drug loading, and intrinsic biocompatibility. Here, a biocompatible nanoscale zirconium-porphyrin metal-organic framework (NPMOF)-based IGTS that is prepared using a microemulsion strategy and carefully tuned reaction conditions is reported. A high content of porphyrin (59.8%) allows the achievement of efficient fluorescent imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The 1D channel of the Kagome topology of NPMOFs provides a 109% doxorubicin loading and pH-response smart release for chemotherapy. The fluorescence guiding of the chemotherapy-and-PDT dual system is confirmed by the concentration of NPMOFs at cancer sites after irradiation with a laser and doxorubicin release, while low toxicity is observed in normal tissues. NPMOFs are established as a promising platform for the early diagnosis of cancer and initial therapy.

Nucleus-staining with biomolecule-mimicking nitrogen-doped carbon dots prepared by a fast neutralization heat strategy.

Biomolecule-mimicking nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-Cdots) were synthesized from dopamine by a neutralization heat strategy. Fluorescence imaging of various cells validated their nucleus-staining efficiency. The dopamine-mimicking N-Cdots "trick" nuclear membranes to achieve nuclear localization and imaging.