A Mo-doped carbon dot nanozyme for enhanced phototherapy in vitro

Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, and traditional treatment methods often come with non-negligible toxic side effects in its treatment, threatening patients' quality of life. Thus, developing novel, efficient, low-toxicity cancer treatment strategies is crucial. Nanozymes, as a class of powerful nanomaterials, can subtly mimic the catalytic activity of natural enzymes, making them a formidable alternative. Hypoxic molybdenum oxide (MoO_3- ), as a typical nanozyme material, possesses unique physical and chemical properties, showing great potential in fields such as cancer treatment. In this study, a simple and rapid one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method was ingeniously employed, innovatively combining molybdenum, which has high biosafety, with safflower, which exhibits anticancer pharmacological activity, to successfully prepare hypoxic molybdenum oxide (MoO_3- )-doped safflower carbon dots (H-Mo-CDs). H-Mo-CDs exhibit exceptional catalase (CAT)-like, peroxidase (POD)-like, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like catalytic activities and superior photothermal conversion efficiency and photostability. In vitro cellular experiments have verified their multiple therapeutic potentials in photothermal therapy (PTT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT), and photodynamic therapy (PDT), providing novel ideas and means for precise cancer treatment. This study not only paves an efficient and feasible path for the development of Mo-based nanomaterials as "smart" nanozymes but also injects new vitality and possibilities into the types and applications of nanozymes in cancer treatment.