PVP intercalated metallic WSe₂ as NIR photothermal agents for efficient tumor ablation

摘要： Transition metal dichalogenides (TMDCs) with unique layered structures hold promising potential as transducers for photothermal therapy. However, the low photothermal conversion efficiency and poor stability in some cases limit their practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of an ultrathin homogeneous hybridized TMDC nanosheets and their use for highly efficient photothermal tumor ablation. In particular, the nanosheets were composed of metallic WSe2 intercalated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which was facilely prepared through a solvothermal process from the mixture of selenourea crystals, WCl6 powder along with PVP polymeric nanogel. Our characterizations revealed the obtained nanosheets exhibited excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, improved biocompatibility and physiological stability attributing to the combined merits of metallic phase of WSe2 and hydrophilic PVP insertion. Both the histological analysis of vital organs and in-vitro/in-vivo tests confirmed the nanosheets as actively effective and biologically safe in this phototherapeutic technique. Findings from this non-invasive experiment clearly emphasize the explorable therapeutic efficacy of layered-based hybrid agents in future cancer treatment planning procedures.