Polymer nanoparticles with high photothermal conversion efficiency as robust photoacoustic and thermal theranostics

Abstract

Synthesis of photothermal agents with absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region and featuring excellent photostability, high photothermal conversion efficiency, and good biocompatibility is necessary for the application of photothermal therapy (PTT). In this work, a low band gap thiophene–benzene–diketopyrrolopyrrole (TBD)-based polymer was synthesized and used to fabricate TBD polymer nanoparticles (TBDPNPs) through a one-step nanoprecipitation method. The obtained near-infrared-absorbing TBDPNPs presented good water dispersibility, high photothermal stability, and low toxicity. Significantly, the TBDPNPs exhibited an ultrahigh photothermal conversion efficiency of approximately 68.1% under 671 nm laser irradiation. In addition, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, with high spatial resolution and deep tissue penetration, showed that the TBDPNPs targeted tumor sites through the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Therefore, the robust TBDPNPs with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 68.1% can serve as an excellent therapeutic agent for PA-imaging-guided PTT.