10Boron-doped carbon nanoparticles as a delivery platform for boron neutron capture therapy and photothermal therapy

Abstract

The two-dimensional boron nitride droped nano graphene (BNNG) was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, with a high boron content of 24.97±1.14% w/w. 10B-enriched boron nitride doped nano graphene (BNNG) size-controlled through gradient density centrifugation. A strategy is proposed that leveraged a boron-nitrogen co-doping process to enhance the boron content. The resulting BN nanosheets, grown on graphene oxide (GO), exhibited an onion-like structure. To serve as a multifunctional delivery platform, 10B-enriched BNNG was dispersed in an aqueous solution through π-π interactions with pyrene methanol polyethylene glycol carboxylate (PPEG) to form BNNG@PPEG, thus it becoming water˗dispersible. The synthesized multifunctional material BNNG@PPEG satisfies the requirements for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), chemotherapy, and photothermal therapy (PTT) with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (η=40.552%). Under 1W/cm² laser irradiation, BNNG@PPEG generates a temperature of 55 °C, the cell survival rate significantly decreased to 36.2±3.5%. Meanwhile, the temperature property of BNNG-DOX@PPEG facilitates the controlled release of doxorubicin (DOX). Under neutron irradiation, the BNNG@PPEG complex exhibits significant antitumor activity, the cell survival rate significantly decreased to 34.82±6.1%.