Hydrous RuO2 nanoparticles as an efficient NIR-light induced photothermal agent for ablation of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Abstract

Metal oxides are receiving an incremental attention in recent years for their potential applications in ablation of cancer cells due to their efficient photothermal conversion and good biocompatibility, but the large sizes and poor photo-stability will seriously limit their practical application. Herein, hydrous RuO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal treatment and surface-modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coating. PVP-coated RuO₂ nanoparticles exhibit a well dispertion in saline solution, strong characteristic plasmonic absorption in NIR region, enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency of 54.8% and remarkable photo-stability under the irridation of an 808 nm laser. The nanoparticles were further employed as a new photothermal ablation agent for cancer cells which led rapidly to cellular deaths both in vitro and in vivo.