Oxygen-Vacancy-Engineered W₁₈ O_49-x Nanobrush with a Suitable Band Structure for Highly Efficient Sonodynamic Therapy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Ultrasound-based sonodynamic therapy (SDT) shows promise for deep tumor treatment but is limited by sonosensitizer efficiency and biosecurity.
• Developing novel inorganic nanosonosensitizers is crucial for advancing SDT clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an oxygen-vacancy-rich W18O49-x nanobrush for highly efficient and biosafe sonodynamic therapy.
• To investigate the potential of W18O49-x nanobrushes in generating multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS) under ultrasound irradiation.

Main Methods:

• A simple solvothermal method was used to synthesize oxygen-vacancy-engineered W18O49-x nanobrushes.
• The nanobrushes' band structure and oxygen vacancy formation were characterized.
• In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and biosecurity of the W18O49-x nanobrushes for SDT.

Main Results:

• The W18O49-x nanobrushes exhibited a suitable band gap (2.79 eV) and efficiently produced singlet oxygen, superoxide anions, and hydroxyl radicals upon ultrasound irradiation.
• Abundant oxygen vacancies were introduced, enhancing charge separation and ROS generation.
• Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the high efficiency and biosafe nature of the engineered nanobrushes for SDT.

Conclusions:

• Oxygen-vacancy-engineered W18O49-x nanobrushes represent a promising inorganic nanosonosensitizer for highly efficient and biosafe sonodynamic therapy.
• This work offers a new strategy for designing advanced nanosonosensitizers for deep tumor treatment.
• The findings pave the way for improved clinical translation of SDT-based cancer therapies.