PEGylated Fe3O4@Ti3C2 MXene quantum dots for in vitro photothermal cancer therapy

Abstract

The combination of nanotechnology and biomedicine has led to transformative advancements in medical science, particularly in the field of Photothermal Therapy (PTT) for anticancer treatment. Current study presents Iron oxide nanoparticles Fe₃O₄ integrated with Ti₃C₂ MXene quantum dots (MQDs) as an efficient system for the anticancer PTT treatment. Core-shell Fe₃O₄@MQDs nanocomposites were synthesized using chemical methods, and then coated with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) to enhance their colloidal stability and biocompatibility. The physicochemical and morphological properties of Fe₃O₄@MQDs-PEG were investigated by X-rays diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Fe₃O₄@MQDs-PEG nanocomposites achieved notable photothermal conversion efficiency (ղ) of up to 37.7 % within 10 min when exposed to an 808 nm NIR laser. Potential for PTT was determined in vitro using HepG2 cells, where a dose and NIR dependent (808 nm for 8 min) cytotoxic response was achieved with an IC₅₀ value of 14.04 μg/ml. Also, hemolysis assay validated safety of Fe₃O₄@MQDs-PEG for intravenous applications. Overall, Fe₃O₄@MQDs-PEG represents a promising class of nanocomposites for photothermal therapeutic applications in vitro.