Photothermal conversion-coordinated Fenton-like and photocatalytic reactions of Cu_2-xSe-Au Janus nanoparticles for tri-combination antitumor therapy

In vivo chemical reactions activated by the tumor microenvironment (TME) are particularly promising for antitumor treatments. Herein, employing Cu_2-xSe-Au Janus nanoparticles (NPs), photothermal conversion-coordinated Fenton-like and photocatalytic reactions are demonstrated in vitro/vivo. The amorphous form of Cu_2-xSe and the catalytic effect of Au benefit the [rad]OH generation, and the photo-induced electron‒hole separation of the Janus NPs produces additional [rad]OH. The plasmonic electrons of Au facilitate the conversion from Cu²⁺ to Cu⁺. Both Cu_2-xSe and Au contributes to the efficient photothermal conversion, further promoting the reactions. As a result, the H₂O₂ utilization rate is largely increased, and remarkable generation of reactive oxygen species is achieved by cell endogenous H₂O₂ in vitro/vivo. A competent tumor inhibition effect is afforded, with high-contrast multimodal imaging. This work opens up the route synergistically integrating photothermal therapy with chemodynamic therapy and photocatalytic therapy into tri-combination antitumor therapy, simply by heterojunction of semiconductor and noble metal.