Influence of PEGylation on WS₂ Nanosheets and Its Application in Photothermal Therapy

Abstract

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an alternative cancer therapy with minimal side effects and higher efficiency and selectivity. In this study, WS 2 nanosheets were developed by ultrasonic exfoliation with different ratios of polyethylene glycol (PEG), and their effects on physicochemical properties were studied. The utilization of PEG during sonication significantly influenced the size and thickness of the resulting WS 2 nanosheet layers, which was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic light scattering analyses. PEG functionalization also improved the dispersibility of WS 2 in aqueous solution by making its surface hydrophilic, which resulted in better biocompatibility. The intrinsic near-infrared absorbance of the nanosheets positions them as valuable agents for PTT. The study further explores the efficacy of these nanosheets as photothermal agents in the ablation of MDAMB-231 breast cancer cells. Although the use of PEG to demonstrate exfoliation and biocompatibility for WS 2 has been reported previously, the effect of PEGylation on various physicochemical properties has not been studied in-depth until now. This study paves the way for the use of highly versatile PEG across a range of 2D material systems.

Recent Advances in Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials for Healthcare Monitoring

“…Bahadur et al demonstrated that WS 2 nanosheets, when functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG), exhibited enhanced dispersibility in aqueous solutions. This enhanced hydrophilicity improved their biocompatibility and enhanced the efficacy in the ablation of MDAMB-231 breast cancer cells . The biocompatibility of the borophene/zinc oxide (BZ) nanocomposite demonstrated nontoxic behavior and effective bactericidal properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.…”

Preclinical Toxicity Assessment of Ti‐Based MXene Nanomaterials for Advanced Theranostic Applications

“…MXenes. [3] MXenes (pronounced "Maxeens"), are a new class of materials made from carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides of transition metals. They were first discovered due to their structural similarities to graphene, and since then, their development has progressed rapidly.…”

“…This has led researchers to investigate other materials, such as Porous carbons, [ 1,2 ] Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), and MXenes. [ 3 ] MXenes (pronounced “Max‐eens”), are a new class of materials made from carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides of transition metals. They were first discovered due to their structural similarities to graphene, and since then, their development has progressed rapidly.…”

PEGylated MoSe2 Nanomaterials with Limited Oxidation via Femtosecond Laser Ablation for Photothermal Therapy

“…These nanomaterials are also known as photothermal therapy agents (PTAs). In the past decade, transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) nanomaterials including MoS 2 , − WS 2 , − MoSe 2 , − WSe 2 , , and MoTe 2 have been widely researched as promising PTAs owing to their high absorbance of NIR light, high specific surface-to-volume ratio, and easy surface functionalization, which make them not only good PTAs but also drug carriers for synergistic therapy. However, TMDC nanomaterials need to be surface functionalized with biocompatible polymers to improve their physiological stability and biocompatibility.…”

“…One way to attach biocompatible polymers is by using van der Waals forces. For example, soybean phospholipid, chitosan, poly­(ethylene glycol) (PEG), polyvinyl­pyrrolidone, polyethylenimine (PEI), and F-127 were attached to TMDC nanomaterials via van der Waals forces. ,,,− ,− Another way to conjugate TMDC nanomaterials with biocompatible polymers is through chemical bonds. TMDC nanomaterials can be conjugated with the polymers terminated with lipoic acid groups such as LA-PEG and LA-PEI by forming metal–sulfur bonds. ,,− All of these methods require hours or even days of stirring of nanomaterials and biocompatible polymers together.…”