Turning on the Heat by Cocrystal Engineering: The Rise of Organic Charge Transfer Photothermal Cocrystals as an Emerging Therapeutic Frontier in Biomedical Application

The field of molecular charge transfer cocrystals (CTCs) has advanced rapidly in recent years, with much work focused on their use in optoelectronic devices, photoacoustic imaging, photothermal therapy (PTT), optical waveguides, seawater desalination, and more. Organic photothermal CTCs are of particular interest because of their unique phototherapeutic effects in phototherapy and their remarkable imaging capabilities in fluorescence, magnetic resonance, and photoacoustic imaging, further enhancing their significance in medical applications. However, the use of photothermal CTCs in biomedicine has been limited, with few reported biological applications. Hence, there is a growing interest in CT-derived functional photothermal cocrystals potential contenders for targeted and controlled biomedical applications such as bacteria inhibition, cancer eradication, and tissue regeneration. This review offers insight into the recent advancements in crafting and producing CT-based materials with biomedical attributes. In addition, it outlines the current obstacles and future prospects in this burgeoning research domain, aiming to propel the continued advancement of CT-based biomaterials toward enhanced biomedical utilities. Overall, cocrystal-based near-infrared (NIR) photothermal materials have the potential to revolutionize a wide range of medical and technological applications and are an active area of research in chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology.