Multifunctional Bi₂S₃-Au nanoclusters for fluorescence/infrared thermal imaging guided photothermal therapy

Nanotechnology has attracted extensive attention in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Therefore, the research aimed at developing new nanomaterials and exploring their applications in biomedicine has attracted more attention. In this study, Bi₂S₃-Au nanoclusters (Bi₂S₃-AuNCs) as fluorescence/infrared thermal imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) was prepared for the first time. It was achieved in a facile and mild way by optimizing the amount of Bi³⁺ and Au³⁺ using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as reducer and stabilizer. The as-prepared Bi₂S₃-AuNCs with special morphology showed high stability, excellent biocompatibility and good photostability. Apart from these, it also can accumulate at tumor sites and exhibit considerable fluorescence/infrared thermal imaging-guided PTT. Bi₂S₃-AuNCs nanoparticles integrate imaging and therapeutic functions into an advanced application platform, which provides the possibility to build a novel nano-cancer diagnosis and treatment platform.