Facile synthesis of black phosphorus–Au nanocomposites for enhanced photothermal cancer therapy and surface-enhanced Raman scattering analysis

Abstract

Black phosphorus (BP), a new type of two-dimensional nanomaterial, has attracted crucial attention in recent years owing to its excellent properties and great potential in various chemical, physical, and biological fields. In this study, BP nanosheets loaded with Au nanoparticles (BP-Au NSs) are obtained by a one-step facile synthetic method. The Au nanostructures can not only enhance the photothermal efficiency of the nanocomposites, but also endow BP-Au NSs with the potential to act as effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for Raman biodetection. Cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) has been carried out in vitro and in vivo using BP-Au NSs as nanoagents. Under irradiation by an 808 nm laser, BP-Au NSs are capable of producing sufficient hyperthermia to destroy cancer cells, and the transplanted tumors in most of the tumor-bearing mice disappeared; BP-Au NSs are more effective than bare BP nanosheets. The PTT effect can also be monitored by a Raman technique that benefits from the high SERS activity of the BP-Au NSs. The molecular fingerprint features of breast tumors before and after PTT treatment were clearly identified using SERS analysis. The theranostic applications of BP-Au NSs exhibit promising potential in biomedicine.

Two‐Dimensional Nanomaterials for Photothermal Therapy

“…The integration of plasmonic metal nanomaterials with 2D nanomaterials is another approach for enhanced light absorption via the plasmonic near‐field effect, compared with its individual component. Guo and co‐workers synthesized BP‐Au nanosheets, and confirmed that BP‐Au nanosheets could improve photothermal conversion efficiency compared with BP nanosheets . In another report, core–shell Pd@Au nanoplates with high photothermal conversion efficiency were fabricated for PTT (Figure e,f) .…”

2D Black Phosphorus–Based Biomedical Applications

“…BP nanosheets are first modified with Au nanoparticles (BP–Au NSs) by a one‐step facile synthetic method that enhances the efficiency of PTT . Compared to bare BP nanosheets, the absorption capacity of BP–Au NSs is improved in the NIR region, resulting in an excellent photothermal effect.…”

“…Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Imaging : Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) offers the advantage of high sensitivity and is a powerful trace analysis technique for the detection of analytes at low concentration. Yang et al prepared BP nanosheets modified with Au nanoparticles (BP–Au NSs) for SERS bioanalysis (Figure D). The Au nanostructure equipped BP–Au NSs with the potential to be used as an effective SERS substrate for Raman biological detection.…”

“…Copyright 2017, Elsevier. Theranostics image: Reproduced with permission . Copyright 2017, Royal Society of Chemistry.…”

Black phosphorus: A novel nanoplatform with potential in the field of bio-photonic nanomedicine

“…Yang et al 193 prepared FLBP coated with Au nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging. BP-Au NSs were fabricated with a facile re°ux method, and mPEG-SH was added to improve the dispersion and stability in water.…”