Figure 5

(a) Schematic illustration of the preparation of the hydrophilic Cu₉S₅ NCs via ligand exchange. Inset of the photo showing the Cu₉S₅ NCs dispersed into different solvents (H₂O and CHCl₃) before and after the ligands’ exchange.⁴⁵ (b) Experimental design for the synthesis of Fe₃O₄@Cu_2−xS core-shell nanostructures. (c) Photograph of the tumor-bearing mouse (marked by a dashed circle). (d) Infrared thermal image of the tumor-bearing mouse treated with the Fe₃O₄@Cu_2−xS nanoparticles after a 980 nm laser irradiation for 2 min. (e) Temperature profiles in regions 11 and 12 as a function of the irradiation time. (f, g) The representative hematoxylin and eosin-stained histological images of ex vivo tumor sections injected with: water only and an aqueous dispersion of polymer-modified Fe₃O₄@Cu_2−xS nanoparticles (Cu content 50 p.p.m.), respectively. (h) Statistical analyses of necrosis in tumors treated with and without Fe₃O₄@Cu_2−xS core-shell nanoparticles. The sections were irradiated with the 980 nm laser irradiation (0.6 W cm⁻²) for 10 min.⁴⁷ (i) Schematic illustration of the [⁶⁴Cu]CuS NPs ideally suited for multifunctional molecular PET imaging and photothermal therapy.⁴⁹