Fast Delivery of Multifunctional NIR-II Theranostic Nanoaggregates Enabled by the Photoinduced Thermoacoustic Process

Multifunctional nanoaggregates are widely used in cancer phototheranostics. However, it is challenging to construct their multifunctionality with a single component, and deliver them rapidly and efficiently without complex modifications. Herein, a NIR-absorbing small molecule named TBT-2(TP-DPA) is designed and certify its theranostic potentials. Then, their nanoaggregates, which are simply encapsulated by DSPE-PEG, demonstrate a photothermal efficiency of 51% while keeping a high photoluminescence quantum yield in the NIR region. Moreover, the nanoaggregates can be excited and delivered by an 808 nm pulse laser to solid tumors within only 40 min. The delivery efficiency and theranostic efficacy are better than that of the traditional enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect (generally longer than 24 hours). This platform is first termed as the photoinduced thermoacoustic (PTA) process, and confirm its application requires both NIR-responsive materials and pulse laser irradiation. This study not only inspires the design of multifunctional nanoaggregates, but also offers a feasible approach to their fast delivery. The platform reported here provides a promising prospect to boost the development of multifunctional theranostic drugs and maximize the efficacy of used medicines for their clinical applications.