Pt Decorated Ti₃C₂T_<i>x</i> MXene with NIR-II Light Amplified Nanozyme Catalytic Activity for Efficient Phototheranostics.

Abstract

The clinical application of photothermal therapy (PTT) is severely limited by the tissue penetration depth of excitation light, and enzyme therapy is hampered by its low therapeutic efficiency. As a two-dimensional ultrathin nanosheet with high absorbance in the near-infrared-II (NIR-II) region, the titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂) nanosheet can be used as a substrate to anchor functional components, like nanozymes and nanodrugs. Here, we decorate Pt artificial nanozymes on the Ti₃C₂ nanosheets to synthesize Ti-based MXene nanocomposites (Ti₃C₂T_<i>x</i>-Pt-PEG). In the tumor microenvironment, the Pt nanoparticles exhibit peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity, which can <i>in situ</i> catalyze hydrogen peroxide to generate hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) to induce cell apoptosis and necrosis. Meanwhile, the composite shows a desirable photothermal effect upon NIR-II light irradiation with a low power density (0.75 W cm^-2). Especially, the POD-like activity is significantly enhanced by the elevated temperature arising from the photothermal effect of Ti₃C₂T_<i>x</i>. Therefore, satisfactory synergistic PTT/enzyme therapy has been accomplished, accompanied by an applicable photoacoustic imaging capability to monitor and guide the therapeutic process. This work may provide an approach for hyperthermia-amplified nanozyme catalytic therapy, especially based on metal catalysts and MXene nanocomposites.