NIR-II cascade-driven synergistic photodynamic and photothermal cancer therapies via 5-aminolevulinic acid-functionalized titanium carbide hexagonal nanorods

Abstract

Photo-stimuli-responsive therapeutic nanomaterials hold significant promise for advancing cancer treatment due to their innovative mechanisms of action. In this study, we present Ti₃C₂ hexagonal nanorods (HNRs) as a versatile platform for combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Ti₃C₂ HNRs were synthesized via a two-step process involving aluminum etching from Ti₃AlC₂ and subsequent hydrothermal treatment, yielding high-purity, uniform hexagonal nanorods with an average size of ∼50 nm. Functionalized with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and folic acid (FA) to enhance cancer cell targeting and therapeutic efficacy, the Ti₃C₂ HNRs demonstrated dual functionalities. The HNRs solution achieved a temperature of 65.4 °C under 1064 nm laser irradiation (1.5 W/cm², 250 μg/mL), suitable for PTT, compared to 45 °C under 808 nm laser irradiation (300 μg/mL), which was insufficient. Additionally, the Ti₃C₂-5-ALA-FA HNRs generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) under NIR laser irradiation, enabling PDT. This synergistic PTT-PDT approach achieved a 95 % cancer cell death rate, highlighting its potential for future in vivo studies and clinical applications as a transformative cancer therapy.