Investigation on the antitumor and antibacterial performance of photothermally active molybdenum oxide materials

Post-surgical breast cancer management remains limited by systemic toxicity, residual tumor burden, and infection risk. To address these issues, we developed an intelligent nanoplatform (MoOx@DOX@LNT) for the co-delivery of oxygen-deficient molybdenum oxide (MoOx) nanosheets and doxorubicin (DOX). This system enables simultaneous tumor eradication and prevention of bacterial colonization through NIR-II-triggered chemo-photothermal synergy. The hydrothermally synthesized MoOx nanosheets display strong NIR-II absorption and a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 44.88%. An electrostatic loading strategy achieved a high DOX payload of 82.14%, while the platform maintained good biocompatibility with > 90% viability in HEK293T cells at 400 µg mL⁻¹. Upon irradiation at 1064 nm, MoOx@DOX@LNT rapidly induces localized hyperthermia and triggers spatiotemporally controlled DOX release. This combined action resulted in G₂/M phase arrest and extensive apoptosis/necrosis, effectively eliminating 93.73% of MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, the photothermal effect potently disrupted bacterial membrane integrity and suppressed ATP synthesis, leading to the eradication of both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). By integrating precise tumor ablation with broad-spectrum antimicrobial prophylaxis, this multifunctional nanoplatform presents a clinically promising strategy for comprehensive postoperative breast cancer therapy.