Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Capped with Graphene\nQuantum Dots for Potential Chemo–Photothermal Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Abstract

In\nthis study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have been\nsuccessfully capped with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to form multifunctional\nGQD–MSNs with the potential for synergistic chemo–photothermal\ntherapy. The structure, drug-release behavior, photothermal effect,\nand synergistic therapeutic efficiency of GQD–MSNs to 4T1 breast\ncancer cells were investigated. The results showed that GQD–MSNs\nwere monodisperse and had a particle size of 50–60 nm. Using\ndoxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) as a model drug, the DOX-loaded GQD–MSNs\n(DOX–GQD–MSNs) not only exhibited pH- and temperature-responsive\ndrug-release behavior, but using near-infrared irradiation, they efficiently\ngenerated heat to kill cancer cells. Furthermore, GQD–MSNs\nwere biocompatible and were internalized by 4T1 cells. Compared with\nchemotherapy and photothermal therapy alone, DOX–GQD–MSNs\nwere much more effective in killing the 4T1 cells owing to a synergistic\nchemo–photothermal effect. Therefore, GQD–MSNs may have\npromising applications in cancer therapy.