Hollow Nanostars with Photothermal Gold Caps and Their Controlled Surface Functionalization for Complementary Therapies

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 27; no. 23
• Main Authors: Wang, Ranran, Zhao, Nana, Xu, Fu‐Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 20.06.2017
• Subjects: Anticancer properties; Brushes; Chemotherapy; Control surfaces; drug delivery; Encapsulation; Gene therapy; Gold; Grafting; hollow nanostars; Horns; Materials science; Nanoparticles; Near infrared radiation; Penetration depth; photothermal gold caps; polycations; Polymerization; Silicon dioxide
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201700256

Gold nanoparticles exhibiting absorption in the desirable near‐infrared region are attractive candidates for photothermal therapy (PTT). Furthermore, the construction of one nanoplatform employing gold nanoparticles for complementary therapy is still a great challenge. Here, well‐defined unique hollow silica nanostars with encapsulated gold caps (starlike Au@SiO2) are readily synthesized using a sacrificial template method. Ethanolamine‐functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (denoted as BUCT‐PGEA) brushes are then grafted controllably from the surface of starlike Au@SiO2 nanoparticles via surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization to produce starlike Au@SiO2‐PGEA. The photothermal effect of gold caps with a cross cavity can be utilized for PTT. The interior hollow feature of starlike Au@SiO2 nanoparticles endows them with excellent drug loading capability for chemotherapy, while the polycationic BUCT‐PGEA brushes on the surface provide good transfection performances for gene therapy, which will overcome the penetration depth limitation of PTT for tumor therapy. Compared with ordinary spherical Au@SiO2‐PGEA counterparts, the starlike Au@SiO2‐PGEA hybrids with sharp horns favor endocytosis, which can contribute to enhanced antitumor effectiveness. The rational integration of photothermal gold caps, hollow nanostars, and polycations through the facile strategy might offer a promising avenue for complementary cancer therapy. Nanohybrids of hollow nanostars with encapsulated gold caps with unique photothermal characteristic are readily synthesized for complementary photothermal therapy, gene therapy, and chemotherapy.