Near-Infrared Driven Gold Nanoparticles-Decorated g-C3N4/SnS2 Heterostructure through Photodynamic and Photothermal Therapy for Cancer Treatment

Pranjyan Dash,1 Senthilkumar Thirumurugan,1 Nandini Nataraj,1 Yu-Chien Lin,1– 3 Xinke Liu,4,5 Udesh Dhawan,6 Ren-Jei Chung1,7 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), Taipei, 10608, Taiwan; 2School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore; 3ZhongSun Co., LTD, New Taipei City, 220031, Taiwan; 4College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chinese Engineering and Research Institute of Microelectronics, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117583, Singapore; 6Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, Division of Biomedical Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G116EW, UK; 7High-Value Biomaterials Research and Commercialization Center, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), Taipei, 10608, TaiwanCorrespondence: Ren-Jei Chung, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology (Taipei Tech), No. 1, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao E. Road, Taipei, 10608, Taiwan, Tel +886-2-2771-2171 ext. 2547, Email [email protected]: Phototherapy based on photocatalytic semiconductor nanomaterials has received considerable attention for the cancer treatment. Nonetheless, intense efficacy for in vivo treatment is restricted by inadequate photocatalytic activity and visible light response.Methods: In this study, we designed a photocatalytic heterostructure using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and tin disulfide (SnS2) to synthesize g-C3N4/SnS2 heterostructure through hydrothermal process. Furthermore, Au nanoparticles were decorated in situ deposition on the surface of the g-C3N4/SnS2 heterostructure to form g-C3N4/SnS2@Au nanoparticles.Results: The g-C3N4/SnS2@Au nanoparticles generated intense reactive oxygen species radicals under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation through photodynamic therapy (PDT) pathways (Type-I and Type-II). These nanoparticles exhibited enhanced photothermal therapy (PTT) efficacy with high photothermal conversion efficiency (41%) when subjected to 808 nm laser light, owing to the presence of Au nanoparticles. The in vitro studies have indicated that these nanoparticles can induce human liver carcinoma cancer cell (HepG2) apoptosis (approximately 80% cell death) through the synergistic therapeutic effects of PDT and PTT. The in vivo results demonstrated that these nanoparticles exhibited enhanced efficient antitumor effects based on the combined effects of PDT and PTT.Conclusion: The g-C3N4/SnS2@Au nanoparticles possessed enhanced photothermal properties and PDT effect, good biocompatibility and intense antitumor efficacy. Therefore, these nanoparticles could be considered promising candidates through synergistic PDT/PTT effects upon irradiation with NIR laser for cancer treatment.Keywords: g-C3N4, SnS2, Gold nanoparticles, Photodynamic therapy, Photothermal therapy