Cooperative plasmonic coupling and chiral interface engineering of quantum dots for versatile NIR-II phototheranostics
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Updated: Nov 9, 2026
A Bright NIR-II Fluorescence Probe for Vascular and Tumor Imaging
Published on: March 17, 2023
Shaohua Qu1, Qian Jia2, Yixiao Li3
1State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710072, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Optoelectronic Materials and Devices of Higher Education Institutions in Shaanxi, School of Physics and Electronic Information, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China.
Abstract:
Second near-infrared (NIR-II) phototheranostics hold great promise for disease treatment, yet their translational potential is often constrained by suboptimal theranostic performance and inadequate nano-bio interface control. Here, we report a chiral plasmonic nanocomplex that synergistically combines metal-enhanced NIR-II fluorescence with chirality-mediated biological regulation. Chiral Ag2S quantum dots are assembled around gold nanorods to form a satellite-like nanostructure (AuNR@L/D-Ag2S QDs), wherein plasmonic coupling boosts the NIR-II emission by up to 3.9-fold. Meanwhile, the nanocomplexes retain distinct chiroptical activity, good colloidal stability and biocompatibility. While both AuNR@L-Ag2S QDs and AuNR@D-Ag2S QDs enable rapid tumor imaging within 1 h post-injection, the latter exhibits a faster decline in tumor-associated NIR-II fluorescence and lower Ag retention at later time points. Under 1064 nm irradiation, AuNR@D-Ag2S QDs achieved a photothermal conversion efficiency of 31.6% and potent antitumor efficacy in 4T1-bearing mice, with pronounced tissue damage and apoptosis. These findings highlight the potential of integrating plasmonic enhancement with chiral surface engineering for next-generation NIR-II phototheranostic platforms.
