Nanocomposites of Molybdenum Disulfide/Methoxy Polyethylene Glycol-co-Polypyrrole for Amplified Photoacoustic Signal

Photoacoustic activity is the generation of an ultrasonic signal via thermal expansion or bubble formation, stimulated by laser irradiation. Photoacoustic nanoplatforms have recently gained focus for application in bioelectric interfaces. Various photoacoustic material types have been evaluated, including gold nanoparticles, semiconductive pi-conjugating polymers (SP), etc. In this study, surfactant-free methoxy-polyethylene glycol-co-polypyrrole copolymer (mPEG-co-PPyr) nanoparticles (NPs) and mPEG-co-PPyr NP/molybdenum disulfide (mPEG-co-PPyr/MoS2) nanocomposites (NCs) were prepared and their photoacoustic activity was demonstrated. The mPEG-co-PPyr NPs and mPEG-co-PPyr/MoS2 NCs both showed photoacoustic signal activity. The mPEG-co-PPyr/MoS2 NCs presented a higher photoacoustic signal amplitude at 700 nm than the mPEG-co-PPyr NPs. The enhanced photoacoustic activity of the mPEG-co-PPyr/MoS2 NCs might be attributed to heterogeneous interfacial contact between mPEG-co-PPyr and the MoS2 nanosheets due to complex formation. Laser ablation of MoS2 might elevate the local temperature and facilitate the thermal conductive transfer in the mPEG-co-PPyr/MoS2 NCs, amplifying PA signal. Our study, for the first time, demonstrates enhanced PA activity in SP/transition metal disulfide (TMD) composites as photoacoustic nanoplatforms.