Gold nanorods incorporated into a MoS2/Fe3O4 nanocomposite for photothermal therapy and drug delivery

Abstract

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) as an advanced photoabsorbing agent has attracted considerable attention for use in cancer therapy. In this study, to achieve magnetic targeting therapy and the enhanced emission photothermal heat of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoflakes, iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles, and gold nanorods (GNRs) were decorated with MoS₂ (MFG nanocomposite) in an aqueous solution. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of all samples (MoS₂, GNRs, MoS₂/Fe₃O₄, and the MFG nanocomposite) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy to confirm that GNRs have been incorporated between MoS₂/Fe₃O₄ nanoflakes successfully. Then, a photothermal experiment was performed for these samples after 10 min of laser irradiation (808 nm continuous wave laser, 1 W cm⁻²). After that, the amount of released doxorubicin (DOX) from the MFG nanocomposite was evaluated for two significant pH values (pH = 5 and 7.5) with and without NIR laser irradiation. Finally, an MTT assay was applied to investigate the effect of concentration of the MFG nanocomposite, NIR irradiation, and concentrations of the DOX drug on the produced heat. The result of the MTT assay indicates that this nanocomposite can ablate cancer cells and it can be a suitable candidate for further biological applications such as photothermal therapy and drug delivery.