| By integrating high-performance CT imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT) into one
nanoprobe, an e®ective theranostic can be achieved for clinical cancer treatment. In this study,
the graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-coated bismuth (Bi) nanoparticle (NP) as a theranostic
nanoprobe is synthesized and its capabilities for computed tomography (CT) imaging and PTT
are investigated. Such nanotheranostic exhibits good physiological dispersity with satisfactory
blood compatibility and cytotoxicity. Most importantly, the GQDs-Bi NPs o®er strong and
steady absorbance pro¯le in NIR region with excellent photostability, which can remarkably
convert photo-to-thermal with the photothermal e±ciency of 30.0%. Thanks to the powerful
PTT e®ect, co-delivery of GQDs-Bi NPs/NIR laser can e®ectively induce HeLa cells death
in vitro. Cooperatively, NPs hold X-ray attenuation coe±cient for high-contrast CT imaging
with the corresponding CT improvement e±cacy as high as 32.7HUmg1. The obtained results
highlight the potential of GQDs-Bi NPs as a successful theranostic nanoagent for CT imaging
and cancer photothermal therapy. |