Luminescence properties and excitation behavior of ICG-conjugated nanoparticles for optical theranostics

Combining photothermal/photodynamic effect of a nanocomposite with photosensitizer can work out a key component of the theranostic nanoplatform of physical therapy for tumors. Herein, we report a type of rare earth-doped core-dual-shell nanoparticles (CDSNPs) conjugated with indocyanine green (ICG), CDSNPs-ICG, which possess an enhancement of optical properties under 980 nm excitation. A relevant energy transfer mechanism underlying rare earth nanoparticles with ICG was proposed to interpret the enhancement of visible light , NIR-I and NIR-II luminescent properties. The excitation behavior of CDSNPs-ICG was theoretically addressed through the hole-electron analysis based on time-dependent density functional theory, and the approach reveal the charge transfer of ICG after compositing rare earth. Photothermal/photodynamic therapy capabilities of CDSNPs-ICG were appraised in vitro and in vivo , indicating that CDSNPs-ICG have a high potential to be applied to optical theranostics of tumor.