Photothermal therapy by using titanium oxide nanoparticles

The photothermal therapy (PTT) technique is regarded as a promising method for cancer treatment. However, one of the obstacles preventing its clinical application is the non-degradability and biotoxicity of the existing heavy-metal and carbon-based therapeutic agents. Therefore, a PTT material with a high photothermal efficiency, low toxicity, and good biocompatibility is urgently wanted. Herein, we report a titanium oxide-based therapeutic agent with a high efficacy and low toxicity for the PTT process. We demonstrated that Magnéli-phase Ti₈O₁₅ nanoparticles fabricated by the arc-melting method exhibit > 98% absorption of near infrared light and a superior photothermal therapy effect in the in vivo mouse model. The Ti₈O₁₅ nanoparticle PTT material also shows a good biocompatibility and biosafety. Our study reveals Magnéli-phase titanium oxide as a new family of PTT agents and introduces new applications of titanium oxides for photothermal conversion.