Polymer Dots Compartmentalized in Liposomes as a Photocatalyst for In Situ Hydrogen Therapy

Semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) have recently attracted considerable attention because of their photocatalytic activity as well as tunable optical band gap. In this contribution, we describe the therapeutic application of Pdots through in situ photocatalytic hydrogen generation. Liposomes were employed as nanoreactors to confine the Pdot photocatalyst, reactants, intermediates, and by-products. Upon photon absorption by the Pdots, the catalytic cycle is initiated and repeated within the aqueous interior, while the H₂ product diffuses across the lipid bilayer to counteract reactive oxygen species (ROS) overexpressed in diseased tissues. Ensemble and single-particle Förster resonance energy transfer microscopy confirmed the proposed nanoreactor model. We demonstrate that a liposomal nanoreactor containing Pdots and a sacrificial electron donor is a potential photocatalytic nanoreactor for in situ hydrogen therapy.