A Semimetal-Like Molybdenum Carbide Quantum Dots Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Agent with High Photothermal Conversion Efficiency

Theranostic platforms integrating imaging diagnostic and therapeutic interventions into a single nanoplatform have attracted considerable attention for cancer-individualized therapies. However, their uncertain stability, complex pharmacokinetics, and intrinsic toxicology of multiple components hinder their practical application in clinical research. In this paper, stable and high-concentration molybdenum carbide quantum dots (Mo(2)C QDs) with a diameter of approximately 6 nm and a topographic height of about 1.5 nm were synthesized using a facile sonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation approach. The prepared Mo(2)C QDs exhibited a strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance with a high molar extinction coefficient of 4.424 Lg(−1)cm(−1) at 808 nm, a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 42.9%, and showed excellent performance on photoacoustic imaging. The Mo(2)C QDs had high stability and highly biocompatibility, with low cytotoxicity. Under NIR irradiation, a remarkable in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effect was obtained. Such a stable and biocompatible all-in-one theranostic nanoagent generated by facile synthesis that combines promising imaging guidance and effective tumor ablation properties may hold great potential for theranostic nanomedicine.