PEGylated MoS2 quantum dots for traceable and pH-responsive chemotherapeutic drug delivery

[Display omitted] •A drug delivery system based on fluorescent MoS2 QDs is synthesized.•PEGylated MoS2 QDs has good physiological stability and is suitable for carrier.•The drug delivery system is traceable and exhibits pH-responsive release property. Since low pH value is widely observed in most of solid tumors, pH-responsive drug delivery system (DDS) can provide a general strategy for tumor-targeting therapy. In this work, a traceable and pH-responsive DDS (MoS2-PEG-DOX) based on MoS2 quantum dots (MoS2 QDs) is successfully developed by covalently grafting MoS2 QDs with diamine-terminated oligomeric polyethylene glycol (PEG) and then loading with a fluorescent antineoplastic anthracycline drug, doxorubicin (DOX). The functionalization of MoS2 QDs with PEG imparts the nanocomposite with strong blue photoluminescence, low cytotoxicity, and excellent physiological stability. The MoS2-PEG-DOX nano-assembly can be effectively taken up by U251 cells, and an accelerated DOX release is then triggered by intracellular acid condition, which in turn diminishing unwanted side effects derived by the incorporation of DOX into healthy cells. Meanwhile, the cellular uptake of the MoS2-PEG-DOX nano-assembly, consequent DOX release and the localization of nanocarrier can be real-time monitored due to the inherent stable fluorescence of MoS2-PEG and DOX. These findings demonstrate that MoS2-PEG-DOX will be promising for high treatment efficacy with minimal side effects in future therapy.