Oxygen-Sensitive Photo- and Radioluminescent Polyurethane Nanoparticles Modified with Octahedral Iodide Tungsten Clusters

The development of cancer treatment techniques able to cure tumors located deep in the body is an urgent task for scientists and physicians. One of the most promising methods is X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy (X-PDT), since X-rays have unlimited penetration through tissues. In this work, octahedral iodide tungsten clusters, combining the properties of a scintillator and photosensitizer, are considered as a key component of nanosized polyurethane (pU) particles in the production of materials promising for X-PDT. Cluster-containing pU nanoparticles obtained here demonstrate bright photo- and X-ray-induced emission in both solid and water dispersion, great efficiency in the generation of singlet oxygen, and high sensitivity regarding photoluminescence intensity in relation to oxygen concentration. Additionally, incorporation of the cluster complex into the pU matrix greatly increases its stability against hydrolysis in water and under X-rays.