Research on the Preparation and Properties of Synergistic Functionalized Molybdenum Disulfide Nanoparticles for Photothermal Therapy

The photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of nanomaterials is crucial in photothermal therapy (PTT). Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) and its nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention in cancer PTT due to their excellent near-infrared (NIR) absorption properties. In this study, a MoS 2 nanocomposite functionalized with both polyethylene glycol (PEG, M n ∼ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ) and dopamine (DA) was synthesized (MoS 2 -PEG20000@PDA), which simultaneously enhanced both the photothermal performance and biocompatibility. MoS 2 -PEG20000@PDA can raise the temperature to 5 7 . 5 ∘ C after 10 min of 808 nm (1.0 w/cm 2 ) NIR laser irradiation, with a PCE of 4 8 . 4 1 %. It also maintains excellent photothermal stability after five laser irradiation cycles. Furthermore, under 808 nm laser irradiation, MoS 2 -PEG20000@PDA significantly inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells, with cell viability decreasing from 88.40% (no laser treatment) to 13.41%. This study provides a new approach for the design of efficient PTT materials and demonstrates the great potential of MoS 2 -based materials in cancer treatment.