Two-dimensional MXene/cobalt nanowire heterojunction for controlled drug delivery and chemo-photothermal therapy

Two-dimensional (2D) MXene nanomaterials have explored as a great potential candidate for tumor therapy during recent decades, especially for photothermal therapeutic applications. However, MXene-based drug-carriers cannot be elaborately controlled in cancer therapy. To solve the problem, a heterostructured titanium carbide-cobalt nanowires (Ti₃C₂-CoNWs) nanocarrier is developed for synergetic anticancer with magnetic controlling ability, dual stimuli-responsive drug release, and chemo-photothermal therapy. The structure, drug loading/release behavior, magnetic controlling capacity, photothermal performance, and synergistic therapeutic efficiency of the Ti₃C₂-CoNWs nanocarrier heterojunction are investigated. The heterostructured Ti₃C₂-CoNWs nanocarrier exhibits excellent photothermal conversion efficiency under 808 nm laser irradiation and high drug loading ability (225.05%). The doxorubicin (DOX) release behavior can be triggered by acid pH value (4-6) or near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. The Ti₃C₂-CoNWs nanocarrier heterojunction with synergistic chemo-photothermal therapeutic effect exhibits strong lethality for cancer cells than that of chemotherapy or photothermal therapy (PTT) alone. Therefore, Ti₃C₂-CoNWs nanocarrier heterojunction will be a promising choice for improving the efficiency of cancer treatment.