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The significance of NIR light-absorbing and/or emitting materials is growing day by day in industrial applications as well as research fields because of intrinsic versatility of NIR light. The uniq...

"On-demand" accurate imaging of multiple intracellular miRNAs will significantly improve the detection reliability and accuracy. However, the "always-active" design of traditional multicomponent detection probes enables them to passively recognize and output signals as soon as they encounter targets, which will inevitably impair the detection accuracy and, inevitably, result in false-positive signals. To address this scientific problem, in this work, we developed a near-infrared (NIR) light-activated multicomponent detection intelligent nanoprobe for spatially and temporally controlled on-demand accurate imaging of multiple intracellular miRNAs. The proposed intelligent nanoprobe is composed of a rationally designed UV light-responsive triangular DNA nano sucker (TDS) and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), named UCNPs@TDS (UTDS), which can enter cells autonomously through endocytosis and enable remote regulation of on-demand accurate imaging for multiple intracellular miRNAs using NIR light illumination at a chosen time and place. It is worth noting that the most important highlight of the UTDS we designed in this work is that it can resist nonspecific activation as well as effectively avoid false-positive signals and improve the accuracy of imaging of multiple intracellular miRNAs. Moreover, distinguishing different kinds of cell lines with different miRNA expressions levels can be also achieved through this NIR light-activated intelligent UTDS, showing feasible prospects in precise imaging and disease diagnosis.

Current cancer therapy has been restricted by the hypoxic microenvironment of tumors, especially for strongly oxygen-dependent photodynamic therapy. To defeat tumor hypoxia, an oxygen-irrelevant radical nanogenerator, PI/FBC, is developed by the co-assembly of iodized polymer PI and NIR photosensitizer FBC, and further evaluated as a remote controllable free radical generation platform for enhancing antitumor efficiency. The PI/FBC radical nanogenerator can be excited by NIR light to produce ROS through transfer of energy to oxygen and induce the formation of toxic iodine radicals via electron transfer to PI. Notably, unlike conventional tumor treatments, such a radical nanogenerator is controllable and insusceptible to oxygen concentration. Moreover, benefiting from the strong NIR emission of FBC, the distribution of the PI/FBC radical nanogenerator can be monitored without incorporating other imaging agents. This PI/FBC radical nanogenerator treatment will no doubt broaden the family of antitumor strategies by using non-oxygen radicals, which is significant for reference in the development of promising anticancer agents., An iodized polymer-based radical nanogenerator, PI/FBC, with strong NIR emission was prepared for NIR-mediated hypoxia-irrelevant tumor therapy.

Near‐infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR‐PIT) is a new type of cancer treatment, which was recently approved in Japan for patients with inoperable head and neck cancer. NIR‐PIT utilizes antibody‐IRDye700DX (IR700) conjugates and NIR light at a wavelength of 690 nm. NIR light exposure leads to physicochemical changes in the antibody‐IR700 conjugate cell receptor complex, inducing rapid necrotic cell death. Just as fluorescence guided surgery is useful for surgeons to resect tumors completely, real‐time information of tumor locations would help clinicians irradiate NIR light more precisely. IR700 is a fluorescence dye that emits at 702 nm; however, there is no clinically available device optimized for detecting this fluorescence. On the other hand, many indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging devices have been approved for clinical use. Therefore, we investigated whether LIGHTVISION, one of the clinically available ICG cameras, could be employed for tumor detection. We hypothesized that irradiation with even low‐power 690‐nm laser light, attenuated by 99% with a neutral‐density filter, could be detected with LIGHTVISION without fluorescence decay or therapeutic effect because of the long emission tail of IR700 beyond 800 nm (within the detection range of LIGHTVISION). We demonstrated that the LIGHTVISION camera, originally designed for ICG detection, can detect the tail of IR700 fluorescence in real time, thus enabling the visualization of target tumors., A diagnostic imaging method is developed for accurately localizing tumor and IR700 accumulation based on IR700 fluorescence, using weakened therapeutic laser light at a nontherapeutic dose and a commercially available clinical fluorescence camera for indocyanine green (LIGHTVISION).

The gaseous microenvironment (GME) of tumors is rapidly becoming a new concern for nanotechnology-mediated oncotherapy. Here, we constructed a tumor/near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive nanoplatform to generate O2 and NO for remodeling the GME of tumors and phototherapy. The biocompatible and pyrolytic polydopamine was used to load indocyanine green, NONOate, and MnO2 NPs as a nanoenzyme (PINM). Then, HA was modified on the PINM to form the final nanoplatform (PINMH). PINMH can target tumors favorably due to the modification of HA. Under the NIR light irradiation, PINM converts the light and O2 to hyperpyrexia (58.5 °C) and cytotoxic 1O2. MnO2 NPs catalyze the H2O2 overexpressed in tumors to O2, which increases the amount of 1O2. Moreover, NONOate decomposes to NO (100 μM) under hyperpyrexia, thus leading to the gas therapy. The results verified that the responsive nanoplatform with precise gaseous regulation and phototherapy exhibited a superior anti-tumor effect (V/V0 = 1.2) and biosafety. In addition, PINMH can be tracked in real-time via magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, an intelligent nano-platform integrated with diagnosis and treatment was developed, which used the phototherapy technology to reshape GME and achieve good anti-tumor effects, aiming to provide an innovative and reasonable strategy for the development of tumor treatment.

Tumor-targeting gold nanorods (AuNRs) assembled through Au-S bonds have been widely used for photothermal therapy (PTT) via intravenous injection. However, with extended in vivo circulation times, biothiols can replace some S-modified targeting ligands on the surface of the AuNRs, which lowers their targeting efficacy towards cancer cells, resulting in a non-ideal PTT effect. To address this problem, herein, we utilized Se-modified AuNRs to establish a dual functional nanoprobe (Casp-RGD-Se-AuNRs) for improving the therapeutic effect and real-time monitoring of Caspase-9 levels to indicate the degree of cell apoptosis. The experiments demonstrated that the Casp-RGD-Se-AuNRs are better at avoiding interference from biothiols than the S-modified nanoprobe (Casp-RGD-S-AuNRs) for extended blood-circulation times after intravenous injection, significantly improving the PTT efficacy via more effectively targeting cancer cells. Simultaneously, the change of Caspase-9 levels visually shows the degree of apoptosis. Moreover, an in vivo study showed that, compared with the S-modified nanoprobe, the Se-modified nanoprobe exhibits a higher delivery efficiency to the tumor region after intravenous injection (accumulation in the tumor increased by 87%) and a better anticancer efficacy under NIR light irradiation (the tumor inhibition rate increased 6-fold). This work provides a valuable strategy to overcome the off-target problem, and new ideas for avoiding interference by biomolecules during blood circulation.

Using light-harvesting materials to enhance natural photosynthesis is attracting much attention in both materials and plant research. The working efficiency of most light-harvesting materials is, however, compromised by a narrow light-harvesting range (either ultraviolet (UV) only, or near-infrared (NIR) only) and a short lifetime of the excited state. We have now developed a new light-harvesting material (UCNP@CDs) from upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) and carbon dots (CDs), which has good photon up- and down-converting properties, because of the UCNPs and CDs, respectively. UCNP@CDs efficiently absorbed and converted both UV and NIR light to visible light, with a long lifetime for the excited state. UCNP@CDs was incorporated into a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) matrix to produce a light-harvesting film that enhances natural photosynthesis, both by isolated chloroplasts and by living plants. Our rationally designed UCNP@CDs/CMC composite light-harvesting film was able to enhance photosynthesis by Arabidopsis thaliana by ∼12%.

Photoredox catalysis is now considered as a major topic in the field of organic synthesis. Recently, important progress has been made in the development of new processes involving low-energy wavelengths: Near-Infrared (NIR) photoredox catalysis. Shifting from visible to NIR light brings many advantages including mild reaction conditions and deep penetration of light. These benefits will open novel perspectives in organic synthesis. This present review highlights the recent photocatalytic systems that are able to catalyze challenging organic transformations upon NIR activation.

Purpose Antibiotic resistance issues associated with microbial pathogenesis are considered to be one of the most serious current threats to health. Fortunately, TiO2, a photoactive semiconductor, was proven to have antibacterial activity and is being widely utilized. However, its use is limited to the short range of absorption wavelength. Methods In this work, heterostructured TiO2-FeS2 nanocomposites (NCs) were successfully prepared by a facile solution approach to enhance light-induced antibacterial activity over a broader absorption range. Results In TiO2-FeS2 NCs, FeS2 NPs, as light harvesters, can effectively increase light absorption from the visible (Vis) to near-infrared (NIR). Results of light-induced antibacterial activities indicated that TiO2-FeS2 NCs had better antibacterial activity than that of only TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) or only FeS2 NPs. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurements also showed that TiO2-FeS2 NCs produced the highest relative ROS levels. Unlike TiO2 NPs, TiO2-FeS2 NCs, under light irradiation with a 515-nm filter, could absorb light wavelengths longer than 515 nm to generate ROS. In the mechanistic study, we found that TiO2 NPs in TiO2-FeS2 NCs could absorb ultraviolet (UV) light to generate photoinduced electrons and holes for ROS generation, including ⋅O2 - and ⋅OH; FeS2 NPs efficiently harvested Vis to NIR light to generate photoinduced electrons, which then were transferred to TiO2 NPs to facilitate ROS generation. Conclusion TiO2-FeS2 NCs with superior light-induced antibacterial activity could be a promising antibacterial agent against bacterial infections.

In the present study, chiral Cux Coy S nanoparticles (NPs) were developed to selectively induce apoptosis of senescent cells using both an alternating magnetic field (AMF) and near infrared (NIR) photon illumination. The chiral effects on living cells were investigated, and d-Cux Coy S NPs showed about 2.5 times higher of internalized ability than l-NPs. By modifying beta 2 macroglobulin (MG), senescent cells were effectively eliminated by d-Cux Coy S NPs without damaging the activities of normal cells under AMF and photon illumination. Compared to the individual application of NIR illumination and AMF, their synergistic effect induced the production of caspase-3 with a much shorter treatment time and higher efficiency due to the more serious photon-induced cellular redox and mechanical damage of cellular skeleton. Moreover, the developed strategy was successfully used to remove senescent cells in vivo. This study developed a controllable way of regulating cell activities using chiral NPs, which will provide a valuable way for treating diseases and promoting health.

As an emerging strategy for oncotherapy, Fenton chemistry can efficiently improve the conversion from endogenous H2O2 into highly toxic ·OH in the whole high-performance therapeutic process. Although promising, the efficiency of Fenton reaction in tumor regions is highly limited by the inefficient delivery of Fenton reagents and the restrictive conditions of tumor microenvironment. One promising strategy against the above limitations is to specifically increase the temperature around the tumor regions. In this study, a novel NIR light-mediated tumor-specific nanoplatform based on magnetic iron oxide nanoclusters (MNCs) was rationally designed and well developed for photothermally enhanced Fenton reaction-assisted oncotherapy. MNCs could accumulate into the tumor regions with the help of an external magnet field to enable T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of tumors and MR imaging-guided combined antitumor therapy. Our well-prepared MNCs also revealed excellent photothermal effect upon a NIR light irradiation, promising their further important role as a photothermal therapy (PTT) agent. More importantly, heat induced by the PTT of MNCs could accelerate the release of Fe from MNCs and enhance the efficiency of Fenton reaction under H2O2-enriched acidic tumor microenvironment. Results based on long-term toxicity investigations demonstrated the overall safety of MNCs after intravenous injection. This work therefore introduced a novel nanoplatform based on MNCs that exerted a great antitumor effect via photothermally enhanced tumor-specific Fenton chemistry.

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a classical near-infrared (NIR) photothermal reagent that can be employed in clinical medical detection. Under neutral conditions, ICG can adsorb NIR light effectively for photothermal (PTT) and photodynamic (PDT) therapy. However, ICG is easily degraded in weak acid environments, which seriously restricts its application. In this work, a cationic water-soluble pillar[5]arene (WP5) was selected as the stabilizing agent for ICG. Thanks to the host-guest interaction between WP5 and alkyl sulfonate, the stability and the photothermal conversion efficiency of ICG increased remarkably upon addition of WP5 as investigated by UV-vis spectrum and photothermal studies. Furthermore, an in vitro study showed higher efficiency of WP5&ICG in killing cancer cells in a shorter treatment time than the free ICG. Hence, it is hopeful that WP5 can be a new type of supramolecular host in enhancing the stability and photothermal conversion efficiency of photosensitizers.

Herein, near-infrared (NIR) photocontrolled iodide-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) of methacrylates, without an external photocatalyst, was developed using an alkyl iodide (e.g., 2-iodo-2-methylpropionitrile) as the initiator at room temperature. This example is the first use of a series of special solvents containing carbonyl groups (e.g., 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone) as both solvent and catalyst for photocontrolled RDRP using long-wavelength (λmax =730 nm) irradiation. The polymerization system comprises monomer, alkyl iodide initiator, and solvent. Well-defined polymers were synthesized with excellent control over the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions (Mw /Mn

Locally administrable drugs with controllable release on external cues hold great promise for antitumor therapy. Here, we report an injectable, supramolecular hydrogel (SHG), where the drug release can be controllably driven by near infrared (NIR) irradiation. The SHGs are formed by electrostatic interactions with LAPONITE® (XLG), in which upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) modified with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) are used as the core, and azobenzene quaternary ammonium salts (E-azo) are further assembled through host-guest interactions. The hydrogel demonstrates reversible phase transition between gel and sol states and photothermal conversion capability. In detailed in vitro and vivo trials, drug-loaded SHGs successfully suppressed invasion by cancer cells. Phase transitions that are regulated by NIR light and promote drug release using photothermal effects, highlighting the considerable potential of supramolecular hydrogels in anticancer therapies, especially for treatments requiring long-term, on-demand drug supply in clinics.

Hyper doping O acts as a nonradiative center and generates an intermediate band with F atoms, exhibiting efficient photocatalysis activities under visible/NIR light.

Both of carbon dioxide (CO2) and near-infrared (NIR) light as triggers for non-invasive remotely control are attracting wide attentions due to their good biocompatibility and easy operation. Here, CO2/NIR light dual controlled nanoparticles are proposed to remotely regulate the unzipping of dsDNA by using imidazole functionalized conjugated polymer nanoparticles (imidazole-CPNs). The dsDNA successfully coats on the shell of imidazole-CPNs to form imidazole-CPNs/dsDNA assembly due to intensively electrostatic interaction triggered by CO2. Furthermore, the unzipping process of dsDNA is remotely controlled by NIR light based on the photothermal effect, and it can be readily monitored by the fluorescence intensity of ethidium bromide (EB) and CD spectra of dsDNA. Thus, dual stimulation responsive imidazole-CPNs effectively control dsDNA unzipping under CO2 stimulus and NIR light, promising a new direction in the biological applications of DNA, such as the treatments of diseases caused by gene duplication abnormality.

Herein, we present a two-step method to dope various amounts of Yb into CsPbBr1.5Cl1.5 QDs at room temperature. It is found that the CsPbBr1.5Cl1.5 QDs can exhibit strong ∼990 nm near-infrared (NIR light) emission, and the NIR photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) is able to reach ∼90% when 10% Yb is doped in the CsPbBr1.5Cl1.5 QDs.

Sialic acid serves as an important determinant for profiling cell activities in diverse biological and pathological processes. The precise control of sialic acid labeling to visualize its biological pathways under endogenous conditions is significant but still challenging due to the lack of reliable methods. Herein, we developed an effective strategy to spatiotemporally label thesialic acids with a near-infrared (NIR) light activated upconverting nanoprobe (Tz-UCNP). With this photoclickable nanoprobe and a stable N-alkene-d-mannosamine (Ac4ManNIPFA), metabolically synthesized alkene sialic acids on the cell surface were labeled and imaged in real time through fluorogenic cycloaddition. More importantly, we achieved spatially selective visualization of sialic acids in specific tumor tissues of the mice under NIR light activation in a spatially controlled manner. This in situ controllable labeling strategy thus enables the metabolic labeling of specific sialic acids in complex biological systems.

Pressure-based signal transduction has attracted recent and extensive attention due to its high sensitivity and simplicity. The most popular way to generate gas pressure relies on catalyst-mediated decomposition of H

Introduction: Near-infrared (NIR) and red-to-near-infrared (R/NIR) radiation are increasingly applied for therapeutic use. R/NIR-employing therapies aim to stimulate healing, prevent tissue necrosis, increase mitochondrial function, and improve blood flow and tissue oxygenation. The wide range of applications of this radiation raises questions concerning the effects of R/NIR on the immune system. Methods: In this review, we discuss the potential effects of exposure to R/NIR light on immune cells in the context of physical parameters of light. Discussion: The effects that R/NIR may induce in immune cells typically involve the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitrogen oxide (NO), or interleukins. Production of ROS after exposure to R/NIR can either be inhibited or to some extent increased, which suggests that detailed conditions of experiments, such as the spectrum of radiation, irradiance, exposure time, determine the outcome of the treatment. However, a wide range of immune cell studies have demonstrated that exposure to R/NIR most often has an anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, photobiomodulation molecular mechanism with particular attention to the role of interfacial water structure changes for cell physiology and regulation of the inflammatory process was described. Conclusions: Optimization of light parameters allows R/NIR to act as an anti-inflammatory agent in a wide range of medical applications.

Owing to the structural controllability, pore modification and unique semiconductor property of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the investigation on MOFs as efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water splitting under UV, visible or even NIR light irradiation have made great progress. In this review, we systematically summarized the recent advances of MOFs-based photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water, and divided them into three categories: MOFs, MOFs composites and MOFs-derived photocatalysts. The high hydrogen production efficiency and possible hydrogen production mechanism of MOFs-based photocatalysts were analyzed in detail. A brief perspective was given to achieve high effective and stable MOFs-based materials for photolysis of water, providing suggestions to explore new and efficient MOFs-based photocatalysts.

Immunomodulatory therapies are becoming a paradigm-shifting treatment modality for cancer. Despite promising clinical results, cancer immunotherapy is accompanied with off-tumor toxicity and autoimmune adverse effects. Thus, the development of smarter systems to regulate immune responses with superior spatiotemporal precision and enhanced safety is urgently needed. Here we report an activatable engineered immunodevice that enables remote control over the antitumor immunity in vitro and in vivo with near-infrared (NIR) light. The immunodevice is composed of a rationally designed UV light-activatable immunostimulatory agent and upconversion nanoparticle, which acts as a transducer to shift the light sensitivity of the device to the NIR window. The controlled immune regulation allows the generation of effective immune response within tumor without disturbing immunity elsewhere in the body, thereby maintaining the antitumor efficacy while mitigating systemic toxicity. The present work illustrates the potential of the remote-controlled immunodevice for triggering of immunoactivity at the right time and site., The use of immunotherapy can be limited by adverse side effects. In this study, the authors designed a nanodevice that spatiotemporally controlled activate immunomodulatory agents at the tumour site upon near-infrared light triggering, thus preventing systemic toxicity with maintained efficacy

A novel light-responsive nanovalve is facilely prepared on mesoporous silica (mSiO2) coated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) through modification of photo-cleavagable pyrenemethyl ester (Py) molecules on its surface. These Py molecules can associate with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) molecules as gatekeepers to block the mSiO2 pore channels and entrap the loaded drugs. Upon NIR light irradiation, NIR light is upconverted to ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) light by UCNP, and the modified Py molecules are cleaved by the upconverted UV light leading to the detachment of β-CD gatekeepers to trigger drug release. For the fabrication of a monitoring system, β-CD is covalently conjugated with the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as drug release indicator (FITC-β-CD). The luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) from UCNP to Py/FITC-β-CD before drug release results in the quenching of Vis emission of UCNP while the detachment of Py/FITC-β-CD nanovalves after drug release diminishes the LRET between UCNP and FITC-β-CD which recovers the luminescence of UCNP, the change in luminescence provides a potential capability for one to quantitatively monitor the drug release process. in vitro study shows a remarkable killing ability on HeLa cancer cell of this system.

Nanodevices have potential as intelligent sensing systems for detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) in living cells. However, the resolution offered by "always active" nanodevices is often insufficient to manipulate miRNA sensing with high spatiotemporal control. In this work, using DNA nanotechnology we constructed an activatable DNA nanodevice programmed to detect miRNAs in vitro and in vivo with the high spatial and temporal precision of NIR light. Our nanodevice is functionalized on the surface of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with a rationally designed DNA beacon that displays UV light-activatable miRNA sensing activity. The UCNPs absorb deep-tissue-penetrable NIR light and emit high-energy UV light locally, which serve as transducers to operate the nanodevice in the NIR window. The nanodevice can naturally enter cells and enable remote regulation of its fluorescent imaging activity for miRNAs in living cells by NIR light illumination in a chosen place and time. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the nanodevice can be expanded to activatable imaging of intratumoral miRNAs in living mice. This work illustrates the potential of DNA nanodevices for miRNA detection with high spatiotemporal resolution, which could expand the toolbox of technologies for precise biological and medical analysis.

Remote, rapid, and ink-free printing/erasure on fabrics has great potential to revolutionize specialized clothing in numerous applications including fashion/aesthetic and security fields, but the construction of such smart fabrics has not been realized due to underlying obstacles in obtaining suitable photoreversible color-switching systems (PCSS). To address this problem, we have prepared TiO2- x nanorods as photocatalytic and photothermal component. With redox dyes as reversible color indicators and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as polymer matrix, TiO2- x/dye/HEC-based PCSS is coated on poly(dimethylsiloxane)-treated cotton fabric. Under 365 nm light irradiation, discoloration occurs in 180 s, resulting from the efficient photocatalytic reduction of the dye. On the contrary, when the colorless fabric is irradiated by 808 nm light, recoloration occurs in a very short time (∼100 s), far lower than the traditional heating mode (30-8 min at 90-150 °C). This rapid recoloration should be attributed to the localized high temperature (164.3-184.5 °C) induced by photothermal effect of TiO2- x. Particularly, when TiO2- x/dye/HEC-based PCSS is extended to coat commercial clothes (such as T-shirts), red/green/blue figures/letters can be rapidly and remotely printed by UV-light pen and then erased by near-infrared light, with high cycle stability. Therefore, such rewritable smart fabric represents an attractive alternative to regular clothes in meeting the increasing aesthetic or camouflage needs.

The use of cheap and safe near-infrared (NIR) light is still the subject of intense research efforts but remains a huge challenge due to the associated low photon energy (wavelength from 0.78 to 2.5 µm). In this study, a series of 17 NIR dyes mainly based on a well-established cyanine scaffold is proposed. Remarkably, 11 of them were never synthesized before. Markedly, noncharged structures, negatively charged cyanine bearing Na+ as counter cation, and positively charged cyanines bearing (B(Ph)4−) or (I−) as counter anions were examined as promising NIR light photoinitiating systems. Excellent photoinitiating abilities were found for some reported dyes when used in combination with iodonium salt and amine. Markedly, photothermal effects with a huge heater behavior were also observed for different NIR dye structures. Interestingly, the synthesis of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs, e.g., for the polymerization of acrylate/epoxy monomer blends) can also be carried out upon NIR light with the proposed systems.

Photovoltaic retinal prosthesis is designed to restore sight in patients who lost central vision due to atrophic AMD. Subretinal pixels convert pulsed NIR light projected from augmented-reality glasses into electric current, stimulating the nearby inner retinal neurons. In patients with geographic atrophy, such prosthetic central vision coexists with natural peripheral sight, and its acuity closely matches the 100um pixel pitch of the implant. We present a progress toward 20um pixels based on honeycomb configuration of the stimulating arrays with return electrodes elevated on vertical walls, designed to leverage retinal migration for decoupling the stimulation threshold from pixel size.

Intelligent responsive microcarriers have emerged as a promising class of biomaterials for therapeutic delivery and tissue regeneration, since they can respond to external stimuli and release the loaded drugs in an active manner. Among various available stimuli, near‐infrared (NIR) light is particularly attractive because it can penetrate biotic tissues with sufficient intensity and minimal damage. In this work, a kind of photoresponsive delivery microcarriers (PDMs) is developed using microfluidics. The microcarriers consist of NIR‐absorbing graphene oxide, thermosensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide), and biocompatible gelatin methacrylate. Under NIR light, the PDMs exhibit an evident volume shrinkage and effectively trigger the drug release. After the NIR light is switched off, the shrunken microcarriers return to their original size. This reversible process can be stably repeated for many cycles. An in vitro experiment demonstrates that the NIR‐radiated PDMs can actively release vascular endothelial growth factors and improve the tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The results from the in vivo experiment also show an obvious photothermal effect and superior therapeutic efficacy of these PDMs in a rat model of tissue defects. These features make the PDMs an excellent drug delivery system and represent a great potential for clinical applications in tissue repair., Photoresponsive delivery microcarriers are developed using microfluidics, which consist of graphene oxide, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide), and gelatin methacrylate. These microcarriers can actively respond to near‐infrared light and release the encapsulated drugs according to the irradiation frequency. After being implanted into a rat model of abdominal wall defects, they also exhibit potential value in tissue repair.

An on-demand drug delivery nanoplatform based on mesoporous silica (mSiO2) coated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP@mSiO2) with a novel near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic switch nanovalve was fabricated. The surface of UCNP@mSiO2 was first immobilized with hydrophobic 2-diazo-1,2-naphthoquinones (DNQ) guest molecules. After doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX, a universal anticancer drug) was loaded into channels of mSiO2 shell, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) host molecules with a hydrophobic cavity were added as gatekeepers to cap DNQ stalk molecules via hydrophobic affinity, which may play a role in the OFF state of the nanovalve to prevent the drug from being released. Upon 980 nm light irradiation, a NIR light-triggered hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic switch, that transformed the hydrophobic guest DNQ into hydrophilic guest 3-indenecarboxylic acid (ICA), took place so that the capped β-CD gatekeepers dissociated due to repulsion between β-CD host (hydrophobic) and ICA guest (hydrophilic), activating the ON state of the nanovalves to release drug. The in vitro studies prove that the nanoplatform enables on-demand drug release to efficiently kill HeLa cell upon NIR light regulation. The in vivo experiment results further confirm that the nanoplatform with such fabricated nanovalves is able to inhibit tumor growth in mice. The designed nanovalves based on the novel NIR light-triggered hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic switch strategy therefore may shed new light on future development of on-demand cancer therapy.

ZnIn2S4 is known to be a visible light-active photocatalyst. In this work, it is shown that by substituting part of the In atoms with vanadium, the visible light range of photocatalytic activity of such material can be extended, using the so-called in-gap band scheme that has been shown to enhance photovoltaic characteristics. Characterization of this material using several techniques, complemented by DFT calculations, will support this statement. While here only the degradation of aqueous HCOOH in well-aerated conditions is discussed, the same material may be used, with an adequate sacrificial reagent, for photocatalytic H2 generation., This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, grant number ENE2016-77798-C4 (project SEHTOP) and by Comunidad de Madrid, grant number S2013/MAE-2780 (project MADRID-PV). It is related also to COST Action 18234, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

Porphyrin‐based architectures have emerged as excellent candidates for artificial light‐harvesting antennae. Although tetrabenzoporphyrins (TBPs), the π‐extended “bigger brothers” of porphyrins, benefit from increased absorptivity in the near‐infrared (NIR), their utilization in light‐harvesting systems is still in its infancy. Within this work, we prepared two donor‐acceptor hetero dyads consisting of hexa‐peri‐hexabenzocoronenes (HBCs) to harvest high energetic near‐UV light, and a TBP core, which serves as visible to NIR light antenna and as subsequent energy sink of the conjugate. The HBCs are either attached to the meso‐position or via a maleimide‐bridge on the periphery of the macrocycle. Upon excitation of the HBC moieties, both dyads exhibit an efficient energy transfer to the TBP core. Furthermore, the TBP‐HBC dyads show superior light‐harvesting properties compared to the respective HBC‐porphyrin reference and the naturally occurring chlorophylls a/b.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (or NIRS) is an optical technique that uses near-infrared (NIR) light that can penetrate deep into the tissue. NIR light is transmitted to the head, non-invasively most often with the use of fibre optics. The collected, reflected NIR light from as deep as the cortex of the brain has been attenuated due to absorption of the oxygen dependent chromophore in the blood, the hemoglobin. NIRS most often measures the reflected NIR attenuation at a couple of wavelengths, to quantify the concentration of the oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin ([HbO2], [HHb]) and provide information about the brain oxygen levels. Of particular interest are the changes in brain oxygenation due to neuronal activity as they can provide us with an indirect measurement of brain function. This can be measured with functional NIRS or fNIRS. For several years now we have been developing technology that extend fNIRS instrumentation by allowing measuring hundreds of NIR wavelengths instead of just two. The technique is called broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (or bNIRS). The bNIRS system measures changes in light attenuation, reflected back from the head, over 308 near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (610nm to 918nm). This allow us to quantify the changes in brain tissue [HbO2], [HHb] and the concentration changes in the oxidation state of cerebral cytochrome-c-oxidase ([oxCCO]). In my talk I will discuss how we have been using bNIRS both in our preclinical and clinical investigations in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury to quantify brain injury severity and neurodevelopmental outcome.

Orthogonal near-infrared light–controlled DNA nanodevices allow for biorecognition and treatment at right time and place., Despite the potential of nanodevices for intelligent drug delivery, it remains challenging to develop controllable therapeutic devices with high spatial-temporal selectivity. Here, we report a DNA nanodevice that can achieve tumor recognition and treatment with improved spatiotemporal precision under the regulation of orthogonal near-infrared (NIR) light. The nanodevice is built by combining an ultraviolet (UV) light–activatable aptamer module and a photosensitizer (PS) with up-conversion nanoparticle (UCNP) that enables the operation of the nanodevice with deep tissue–penetrable NIR light. The UCNPs can convert two distinct NIR excitations into orthogonal UV and green emissions for programmable photoactivation of the aptamer modules and PSs, respectively, allowing spatiotemporally controlled target recognition and photodynamic antitumor effect. Furthermore, when combined with immune checkpoint blockade therapy, the nanodevice results in regression of untreated distant tumors. This work provides a new approach for regulation of diagnostic and therapeutic activity at the right time and place.

Here, a novel triple-responsive graphene oxide hybrid supramolecular hydrogel based on the electrostatic self-assembly between graphene oxide and a quaternized polymer and the host-guest inclusion between α-cyclodextrins and poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (mPEG) was constructed. The quaternized polymer was synthesized by quaternization between pH-sensitive poly( N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) and bromine end-capped poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether. The supramolecular hydrogels prepared from the host-guest inclusion of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether and α-cyclodextrins would turn into a mobile sol phase when the temperature was increased above a certain temperature (Tgel-sol). Graphene oxide sheets not only acted as a core material to provide additional cross-linking but also absorbed NIR light and converted NIR light into heat to trigger the gel-sol transition. The constructed graphene oxide hybrid cyclodextrin-based supramolecular hydrogels could respond to NIR light, temperature, and pH, which could be beneficial for controlled release of cargoes and would hold great promise in the field of delivery systems.

The design of light-responsive peptide hydrogels with controllable drug release characteristics is still a challenge. Here, we fabricated a NIR light-responsive short peptide hydrogel by using a thermo-responsive short peptide hydrogel and PEGylated NbSe2 nanosheets, namely, the NbSe2–PEG@YD hydrogel. Under NIR light irradiation, the hydrogel began to collapse owing to the local heating, leading to the release of the cargos. The hydrogel exhibited recoverability and the release rate of the cargos could be accurately modulated by the NIR light irradiation according to the requirement. The excellent biocompatibility of this hydrogel ensured that it could be further developed as a drug carrier for clinical application.

Quantitative detection of external stimuli, such as light, heat, and force, is an important challenge for sensing materials. Near-infrared (NIR) light is used in a variety of fields, such as biological, physical, medical, and engineering applications. Visualization and quantitative detection of invisible NIR are significant for its safe use. Here we fabricate a paper-based device coated with polypyrrole (PPy) and layered polydiacetylene (PDA). As PPy induces evolution of heat with irradiation of NIR, the effective conjugation length of the layered PDA is changed by the dynamic structure changed through the heat conduction. The visible color change from blue to red proceeds on the paper device. The red-color intensity has a relationship with the irradiation power of NIR. These facts suggest that the irradiation time and power of NIR are quantified by the color. Moreover, the results indicate that layered PDA can be applied to the quantification of external stimuli through conversion from the desired stimulus to the detectable one.

With the goal of developing more accurate, efficient, non-invasive and fast diagnostic tools, the use of near-infrared (NIR) light in the range of the second and third biological windows (NIR-II: 1000–1350 nm, NIR-III: 1550–1870 nm) is growing remarkably as it provides the advantages of deeper penetration depth into biological tissues, better image contrast, reduced phototoxicity and photobleaching. Consequently, NIR-based bioimaging has become a quickly emerging field and manifold new NIR-emitting bioprobes have been reported. Classes of materials suggested as potential probes for NIR-to-NIR bioimaging (using NIR light for the excitation and emission) are quite diverse. These include rare-earth based nanoparticles, Group-IV nanostructures (single-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon nanoparticles and more recently Si- or Ge-based nanostructures) as well as Ag, In and Pb chalcogenide quantum dots. This review summarizes and discusses current trends, material merits, and latest developments in NIR-to-NIR bioimaging taking advantage of the region above 1000 nm (i.e. the second and third biological windows). Further consideration will be given to upcoming probe materials emitting in the NIR-I region (700–950 nm), thus do not possess emissions in these two windows, but have high expectations. Overall, the focus is placed on recent discussions concerning the optimal choice of excitation and emission wavelengths for deep-tissue high-resolution optical bioimaging and on fluorescent bioprobes that have successfully been implemented in in vitro and in vivo applications.

The development of light-controlled nitric oxide (NO)-releasing nanoplatforms that are capable of specifically targeting liver cancer cell lines and delivering an optimal amount of NO can significantly affect liver cancer therapy. In this study, a multifunctional nanoplatform {N-GQDs@Ru-NO@Gal} (1) for the near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive release of NO, consisting of a NO donor (Ru-NO) and a liver-targeting galactose derivative (Gal) covalently attached to N-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs), was reported. Nanoplatform 1 preferentially targeted liver cancer cells over normal cells and instantly released NO as well as exhibited a prominent photothermal effect upon NIR irradiation at 808 nm, thereby leading to efficient anti-tumor efficacy. {N-GQDs@Ru-NO@Gal} with a small size (

Near-infrared (NIR) light-induced photothermal agent-based stimuli-responsive materials have attracted great interest from researchers. However, the highly smart release with precise control by NIR light is not yet well established because of the lack or inadequacy of intelligent release systems, such as premature release of drug and/or photothermal agent. Herein, we put forward a novel and convenient strategy to synthesize cyanine dye-functionalized polymeric materials, where cyanine dye was schemed to attach to polymeric materials by copolymerization, endowing the polymeric materials with NIR light-responsive photothermal property and fluorescent nature for real-time imaging of endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of nanovehicles. Meanwhile, the chemotherapy drug DOX was introduced into the cyanine-containing polymeric materials via formation of dynamic covalent hydrazone bond to circumvent the blood circulation barrier. The nanovehicles displayed fine pH/NIR light-controlled drug release and excellent tumor intracellular drug transposition, which were ulteriorly combined with photo-triggered hyperthermia for enhanced antitumor effect. Therefore, this multipronged design of theranostic nanovehicles with endogenous and exogenous stimuli-responsiveness provides a novel strategy to attain highly smart drug delivery for precise cancer therapy.

In the present work, we prepare and evaluate a cell-based microrobot for active drug delivery to tumors. The microrobots are fabricated using the engulfment activity of immune macrophages with drug-loaded magnetic liposomes (MNP-DLs) via phagocytosis. The synthesized MNP-DLs and the microrobots have high energy absorbance to NIR light with increased drug release rate after laser irradiation. The tumor killing ability of the prepared microrobots is validated on a colorectal cancer cell line. In addition, the active tumor targeting function by an external electromagnetic actuating (EMA) system and chemotaxis is verified. Experiment results show that a single microrobot can be manipulated by the EMA system to obtain the average velocity of approximately 11 μm/s, and the robots can cross the membranes mimicking the blood barrier to tumor chemo-attractants with the infiltration rate up to 74%. Consequently, this study proposes and analyzes an innovative aspect of the developed therapeutic cellular micro-platform for active tumor targeting and externally triggered drug delivery.

Driven by the growing demand for healthcare and point-of-care test applications, next-generation diagnostic tools of diseases require sensing platforms that enable rapid, quantitative readout of analytes with excellent specificity and sensitivity. Although label-free detection permits simplicity, flexibility and high specificity, it has usually poor throughput, limited sensitivity and requires professional instrumentation. Label-based detection using optical labels overcomes many of these drawbacks and has been demonstrated to be an effective alternative for improved sensing performances. The current research focus has been directed towards innovating high-performance optical labels for ultrasensitive biosensing and disease diagnostics in place of conventional optical labels. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) labels have proven to be excellent labels for biosensing because of their merits in many aspects, such as flexibility, less interference from biological matrices, high photostability, easy multiplex encoding, etc. These fantastic features make SERS labels particularly suitable for ultrasensitive detection of disease biomarkers in body fluids and targeted imaging of diseased cells and tissues, respectively. In this Review, we introduce the design and deployment of SERS labels for ultrasensitive detection, and summarize recent research progress in the development of SERS label-based sensing platforms and their applications in disease biomarker detection, targeted cellular imaging and spectroscopic detection of tumor lesions. First, we will discuss the design principles and comprehensive considerations of SERS labels, and the on-demand integration of functionalities. Next, we introduce the design of SERS sensing platforms on basis of SERS labels for ultrasensitive and selective detection of diverse pathology-related biomarkers, including proteins, nucleic acids, small molecules and inorganic ions. In addition, through the rational incorporation of targeting ligands on SERS labels, novel SERS probes are created for targeting near-infrared (NIR) imaging and spectroscopic detection of tumor, taking advantages of large NIR light penetration depth, high brightness, stability, etc. Our and other research efforts have demonstrated the promising potential of SERS label-based sensing platforms for detection of diverse circulating biomarkers for non-invasive disease diagnostics and deep-tissue spectroscopic detection of tumor. It is believed that this review will motivate further exploration of clinical applications of SERS labels in near future.

Light-triggered drug delivery system is an effective strategy for precise diagnosis and therapy in cancer treatment. However, it suffers from difficultly balancing the dosimetry of drug with light dose and a lack of in vivo models for validating their clinical benefits. Here we report an unprecedented near-infrared (NIR) light photocaged cyanine-based prodrug Cy-CPT-Biotin with dual-channel fluorescence mode, enabling NIR light to precisely regulate where, when and how the intact and active prodrugs are delivered. The synergy of photochemical reaction and modulation in π-conjugated polyene backbone of cyanine can fully perform distinct dual-channel fluorescence changes in a NIR light-mediated manner. The prodrug has striking characteristics of excellent tumor-targeting ability, real-time monitoring of the in vivo behaviors by dual-channel mode and NIR-light triggering, especially for achieving fine regulation and on-demand drug release in the precise dosimetry of drug with light dose in living animals. This optical orthogonality strategy that conjuncts with NIR light-triggered and dual-channel fluorescence in vivo imaging provides a powerful tool for in vivo real-time tracking and finely tuning the prodrug release for precise drug delivery.

Near infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new target-cell specific cancer treatment that induces highly selective necrotic/immunogenic cell death after systemic administration of a photoabsorber antibody conjugate and subsequent NIR light exposure. However, the depth of NIR light penetration in tissue (approximately 2 centimeters) with external light sources, limits the therapeutic effects of NIR-PIT. Interstitial light exposure using cylindrical diffusing optical fibers can overcome this limitation. The purpose in this study was to compare three NIR light delivery methods for treating tumors with NIR-PIT using a NIR laser system at an identical light energy; external exposure alone, interstitial exposure alone, and the combination. Panitumumab conjugated with the photoabsorber, IRDye-700DX (pan-IR700) was intravenously administered to mice with A431-luc xenografts which are epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive. One and two days later, NIR light was administered to the tumors using one of three methods. Interstitial exposure alone and in combination with external sources showed the greatest decrease in bioluminescence signal intensity. Additionally, the combination of external and interstitial NIR light exposure showed significantly greater tumor size reduction and prolonged survival after NIR-PIT compared to external exposure alone. This result suggested that the combination of external and interstitial NIR light exposure was more effective than externally applied light alone. Although external exposure is the least invasive means of delivering light, the combination of external and interstitial exposures produces superior therapeutic efficacy in tumors greater than 2 cm in depth from the tissue surface.

Transport ions into cells through nanocarrier to achieve ion-interference therapy provides new inspiration for cancer treatment. In this work, a pH-targeted and NIR-responsive NaCl-nanocarrier is prepared using surfactant Vitamin E-O(EG2-Glu) and modified with polydopamine (PDA) and pH-sensitive zwitterionic chitosan (ZWC). The NaCl-nanocarrier is decorated with NH4HCO3 and IR-780 to introduce near-infrared (NIR)-responsive performance and imaging. Once the NaCl-nanocarrier is exposed to NIR laser, the temperature rises rapidly because of the excellent photothermal conversion ability of PDA, then NH4HCO3 is decomposed into NH3 and CO2, which burst the nanocarrier, resulting in Cl− and Na+ “bomb-like” release. This pH-targeted nanocarrier accumulates more at tumor site and when irradiating the site with NIR light, the temperature rises and excessive Cl− and Na+ are released to destroy the ion homeostasis and inhibit tumor growth effectively. Through this strategy, the unique combination of ion interference therapy and photothermal therapy is achieved.

Engineered anaerobic bacteria known as live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) have shown great advances in cancer therapy. One advantage of anaerobic bacteria as drug carrier is that it spontaneously target to tumor and persistently release anti-tumor factors. To realize effective anti-cancer therapeutics, one essential premise is to improve the controllability of treatment. Here, we designed near-infrared (NIR)-light responsive bacteria as anti-tumor agent, which is based on a blue-light responsive module and upconversion nanoparticles. The upconversion nanoparticles converted external NIR light to local blue light to noninvasively activate blue-light responsive module (EL222) in engineered LBPs. The activated LBPs then produce tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) for precise tumor ablation. In vitro and in vivo results have proven that this engineered NIR-light-responsive bacteria could efficiently inhibit tumor growth. We anticipate that this controllable and safe bacteria-based therapy can facilitate the application of LBPs to accurately and effectively regulate diseases.

Photoactivatable protecting groups (PPGs) or caged compounds are beneficial tools for spatiotemporal controlled release of bioagents, fluorescent probes, polymerization initiators and gasotransmitters such as carbonmonoxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Most of the reported PPGs absorbs in the UV light, suffers from poor tissue penetrations and undesirable photochemical transformation whereas visible/NIR light has better tissue penetration and less bio autofluorescence and has attracted researchers to develop PPGs activated by visible/NIR light. Thus, visible/NIR light absorbing BODIPY PPGs with easily tunable spectral properties and low phototoxicity are used for non-invasive photorelease of protecting groups. The review will mainly focus on the advance research on the molecular designing, spectroscopic properties, structure activity relationship, discussions of photorelease mechanisms and applications (wherever applicable) of visible/red light absorbing photoactivatable BODIPY fluorophore as PPGs. We strongly believe that this review will present a broad perspective for BODIPY dyes as PPGs and provide guidance to the beginners and young researchers for the rational designing of BODIPY based fluorescent dyes of biological importance.

The increasing emergence of pathogenic bacterial infection have been regarded as urgent threats. Notwithstanding, developing simplified and effective means for accurate bacterial target diagnosis and therapy remains a considerable challenge. Here we report a reasonable method for accurate and rapid theranostic of bacteria by in situ self-assembly strategy. By introducing aqueous gold and zinc ions into E.coli cells, the gold and zinc nanoclusters (NCs) could be spontaneously constructed by utilizing the in situ self-assemble biosynthetic strategy that takes advantage of the unique microenvironment of pathogenic bacteria and efficiently enhanced the uptake of DNA into the bacteria cells in the presence of Herring sperm DNA. The self-assembling biosynthetic approach improved image sensitivity and specificity toward the bacterial and exhibited highly efficient disinfection activities coupled with NIR light irradiation. This may raise the possibility of establishing a unique theranostic nanoplatform that possess great potential for accurate bacteria bioimaging and disinfection.