Molybdenum oxide nano-dumplings with excellent stability for photothermal cancer therapy and as a controlled release hydrogel

摘要

MoO3-x nanoparticles are a series of rising optothermal materials due to their surface plasmonic absorption features. However, their poor stability limits their further applications. Herein, a facile, one-step hydrothermal method was conducted to synthesize MoO3-x nano-dots coated with polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The wrapped polymer chains give MoO3-x good hydrophilicity and excellent stability. The constitutional formula for MoO3-x was calculated to be MoO2.63, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-synthesized MoO2.63 nano-dumplings could be easily monodispersed in water or PBS solution and showed high tolerance against aging, heat, laser exposure and chemical etching. The superior absorption of the MoO2.63 nano-dumplings in the near-infrared (NIR) region also endows them with promising potential for remote control microvalve application and photothermal cancer therapy effect.