High near-infrared absorbing Cu sub(5)FeS sub(4) nanoparticles for dual-modal imaging and photothermal therapy

Multifunctional nanomaterials have shown excellent and promising properties for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we have developed iron doped copper sulfide (Cu sub(5)FeS sub(4)) nanoparticles with a non-covalent polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating (Cu sub(5)FeS sub(4)-PEG) for tumor dual-modal imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT). The obtained Cu sub(5)FeS sub(4)-PEG nanoparticles with high near-infrared absorbance could be used for phototoacoustic (PA) imaging and PTT, whereas Fe super(3+) doping offer the nanoparticles the additional property for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. As shown by PA imaging, Cu sub(5)FeS sub(4)-PEG exhibit a high tumor uptake ( similar to 10% ID g super(-1)) after intravenous injection. In vitro and in vivo cancer treatment further confirm that Cu sub(5)FeS sub(4)-PEG could act as a novel therapeutic agent for PTT of cancer cells. Our study further promotes the potential applications of multifunctional nanomaterials in a range of tumor diagnoses and treatments.