Photothermally Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy Delivered by Nano-Graphene Oxide

TLDR

Graphene’s unique physical and chemical properties have enabled diverse biomedical applications. The study aims to load the photosensitizer Chlorin e6 onto PEG‑functionalized graphene oxide through supramolecular π–π stacking. The GO‑PEG‑Ce6 complex, prepared by π–π stacking, is water‑soluble and generates cytotoxic singlet oxygen upon light excitation, while graphene’s photothermal effect facilitates Ce6 delivery via mild NIR heating. The complex achieved markedly higher photodynamic killing of cancer cells than free Ce6, and NIR‑induced photothermal heating further amplified this effect, underscoring graphene’s potential for multifunctional cancer therapy.

Abstract

Graphene with unique physical and chemical properties has shown various potential applications in biomedicine. In this work, a photosensitizer molecule, Chlorin e6 (Ce6), is loaded on polyethylene glycol (PEG)-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) via supramolecular π–π stacking. The obtained GO-PEG-Ce6 complex shows excellent water solubility and is able to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen under light excitation for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Owing to the significantly enhanced intracellular trafficking of photosensitizers, our GO-PEG-Ce6 complex offers a remarkably improved cancer cell photodynamic destruction effect compared to free Ce6. More importantly, we show that the photothermal effect of graphene can be utilized to promote the delivery of Ce6 molecules by mild local heating when exposed to a near-infrared laser at a low power density, further enhancing the PDT efficacy against cancer cells. Our work highlights the promise of using graphene for potential multifunctional cancer therapies.