Photothermal Performance of 2D Material-Based Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Photothermal therapy (PTT) utilizes light-to-heat conversion by nanoparticles for cancer treatment.
• Advancements in nanoparticle fabrication allow for precise control over optical properties, offering potential for enhanced PTT efficacy.
• Exploring novel materials is crucial for optimizing PTT performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically analyze the photothermal performance of various spherical nanoparticles (SNs) in the near-infrared (NIR) region.
• To investigate the impact of nanoparticle size and material composition on photothermal efficiency.
• To identify promising materials for enhanced PTT, particularly in the NIR-II therapeutic window.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Mie theory to calculate the optical response of SNs (5-100 nm radii).
• Focused analysis on the NIR-I (750-950 nm) and NIR-II (1000-1700 nm) spectral ranges.
• Evaluated materials including MoS2, PdSe2, Ti3C2, TaS2, and TiN.

Main Results:

• Large van der Waals semiconductors and PdSe2 SNs (>50 nm) showed strong performance in NIR-I due to excitonic responses.
• Ti3C2 SNs exhibited broad effectiveness in both NIR zones due to dual dielectric/plasmonic properties.
• TaS2 SNs demonstrated excellent photothermal transduction in NIR-II, especially at smaller sizes, owing to plasmonic resonance.

Conclusions:

• Nanoparticle size, material, and optical properties significantly influence photothermal performance.
• TaS2 nanoparticles show exceptional promise as photothermal agents in the NIR-II range for cancer therapy.
• These findings provide a basis for designing advanced photothermal agents for biomedical applications.