Rational design of metal-free multifunctional therapeutic reagents offers great opportunities for cancer treatment in the clinic. Here, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) quantum dots embedded in carbon nanosheets (CNQD-CN) are in situ prepared via a one-pot hydrothermal approach with formamide as carbon and nitrogen source. The CNQD-CN not only serves as an excellent near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent marker but also acts as a pH-responsive nanocarrier. Moreover, the CNQD-CN possesses both light-to-heat conversion and singlet oxygen generation capabilities under a single NIR excitation wavelength. Further investigations show that systemic delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) using the multifunctional CNQD-CN nanocarrier under NIR irradiation was highly effective to cause cancer cell apoptosis in vitro and inhibit tumor growth in vivo. CNQD-CN represents a multifunctional therapeutic platform for synchronous cancer imaging and treatment through the synergistic effect of phototherapy and chemotherapy.
Keywords: C3N4 quantum dots; NIR imaging; carbon nanosheets; combined therapy; synergistic effect.