Design and Synthesis of Core-Shell-Shell Upconversion Nanoparticles for NIR-Induced Drug Release, Photodynamic Therapy, and Cell Imaging

Novel core-shell-shell structured nanoparticles 75 nm in diameter with all-in-one smart functional capabilities for simultaneous photoresponsive drug release, photodynamic therapy, and cell imaging are designed and prepared. These nanoparticles consist of an upconversion (UC) emission core, a photosensitizer-embodied silica sandwich shell, and a beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) gated mesoporous silica outmost shell with drugs (Rhodamine B as a model) loaded inside. We show in this proof-of-concept demonstration that, under 980 nm near-infrared irradiation, UC 540 nm green light emissions were emitted for cell imaging, and 660 nm red light emissions were excited for activating photosensitizers to generate singlet oxygen, which could be exploited directly to kill cancer cells and simultaneously dissociate beta-CD gatekeeper to release drugs. The preliminary results reported here will shed new light on the future design and applications of multifunctional platforms for cancer therapy and diagnostic.