Janus Gold Nanodiscs with an Asymmetrically Positioned Polyaniline Nano-Urchin for Photothermal Therapy and Multimodal Imaging in the Second Near-Infrared Window
The second near-infrared (NIR-II) window (1000-1700 nm) offers advantages in biomedical applications such as deeper tissue penetration and superior imaging contrast. Despite this potential, existing NIR-II probes are limited by biocompatibility concerns, photobleaching, and poor photostability, issues that constrain their clinical utility. This study introduces Janus-type gold nanodiscs having an asymmetrically integrated hierarchical polyaniline (PANI) structure, optimized for use as multifunctional agents for NIR-II photothermal therapy and multimodal imaging. By shifting the localized surface plasmon resonance of the gold nanodiscs─the foundation of the Janus structure─from NIR-I to NIR-II, the developed AuPANI nanodiscs achieve remarkable deep-tissue photoacoustic imaging, up to 15 mm, while also enabling highly sensitive positron emission tomography imaging through stable radiolabeling. The nanodiscs also exhibit superior photostability and notable efficacy as photoacoustic-guided photothermal therapy agents under 1064 nm irradiation. This study positions AuPANI nanodiscs as a versatile platform for NIR-II theranostics, addressing limitations of current probes and advancing their potential for precise and effective cancer treatment.
Authors
- Bong Gill Choi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5452-4091)
- Jiwoong Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7338-1727)
- Yong-Hoon Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0682-2238)
- Jung‐Sub Wi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9531-2001)
- Tae Geol Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6674-4147)
- Kyoung G. Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2691-0910)
- Kyu Eun Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2354-3599)
- Hee‐Kyung Na (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9925-1149)
- Chulhong Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7249-1257)
- Jinhyung Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8774-4667)
- Jueun Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7640-6344)
- Ji Yong Park
Institutions
- Pohang University of Science and Technology (KR)
- Seoul National University (KR)
- Hanbat National University (KR)
- Kangwon National University (KR)
- Korea University (KR)
- Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KR)
- Korea Post (KR)
- New Generation University College (ET)
- Genetic Resources Center (JP)
- Convergence (US)
- The Medical Device (United Kingdom) (GB)
- National NanoFab Center (KR)
- Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KR)
- Korea University of Science and Technology (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
- Published
- 2025-05-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c22576
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.56
Funders
- Ministry of Education
- Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
- National Research Foundation of Korea
- National Research Council of Science and Technology
- Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea