Silica coating improves the efficacy of Pd nanosheets for photothermal therapy of cancer cells using near infrared laser

Thickness does matter! The ultrathin nature of 1.8 nm-thick Pd nanosheets prevents them entering cells effectively. A 13-times enhancement in the cells' uptake of the Pd nanosheets has now been achieved by silica coating together with surface functionalization, therefore significantly improving their NIR photothermal cell-killing efficacy.