Polymer Dots as Effective Phototheranostic Agents

Abstract

Conjugated polymer dots (Pdots, also named polymer nanoparticles, PNPs), which consist of π-conjugated organic polymers, are novel organic nanomaterials with size in the range of 1-100 nm. Compared with traditional organic small molecules, semiconductor quantum dots and inorganic nanomaterials, the Pdots exhibit significant potential applications in biological imaging, sensing and detection, drug delivery and theranostics, due to their advantages of special optical properties, diverse structure, easy surface modification and good biocompatibility. In this short review, we present a brief summary of the current development in Pdots as phototheranostic agents, including fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging, photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy. Current challenges in Pdot research and future directions in the field are proposed.

Controlled functionalization of carbon nanodots for targeted intracellular production of reactive oxygen species

“…[22][23][24] In particular, near-infrared (NIR)-emissive or red-emissive CNDs (RCNDs), which can be excited by long-wavelength lights, show great potential in the biomedical field because of their good tissue penetration. [25,26] Recent literature witnesses an extension of RCNDs to the field of phototherapy because of their unique photophysical properties and biocompatibility. [27][28][29][30] However, it is still highly desired to develop synthetic methods to prepare and functionalize RCNDs as their potential for targeted intracellular production of ROS and possible use in photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been rarely explored.…”

Recent Advances in Visible‐Light‐Driven Hydrogen Evolution from Water using Polymer Photocatalysts

“…Accordingly, several research groups have designed conjugated Pdots as novel organic semiconducting materials with sizes in the 1–100 nm range. Pdots display significant potential in applications such as bioimaging, detection and sensing, theranostics and drug delivery, and have good biocompatibility and surfaces that are easy to modify . Thus far, several reviews have covered different aspects of Pdots .…”

Recent advances in theranostic agents based on natural products for photodynamic and sonodynamic therapy

“…Over the past few decades, with the boom in nanomedicine, various theranostic agents including carbon dots, [13][14][15] polymer dots, 16 organic molecules, 17 AIEgens, 18 and inorganic and organic nanoparticles, 1,2,6 have been developed and applied in PDT and SDT. 19 For examples, Jia et al introduced carbon dots-based nanotheranostics for imaging and PDT 13 ; Guo et al reviewed π-conjugated organic polymer dots as theranostic agents 16 ; Lan et al summarized organic molecule-based photosensitizers and their nanoparticles 17 ; Son et al also reviewed various multifunctional sonosensitizers in sonodynamic cancer therapy. 19 These inorganic or organic materials have the following advantages as diagnostic and therapeutic agents: (i) nanostructures with controlled size and morphology for different requirements, (ii) easy superficial modification with various functional groups to achieve specific tissue targeting, and (iii) the EPR effect that can be enriched effectively in tumor sites.…”