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It is hard to achieve safe, effective, and minimally invasive therapies on myocardial infarction (MI) via conventional treatments. To address this challenge, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-loaded and near-infrared (NIR)-triggered self-unfolding graphene oxide (GO)-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) microneedle (MN) patch was designed and fabricated to treat MI through a minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The folded MN patch can be easily placed into the chest cavity through a small cut (4 mm) and quickly recover to its original shape with 10 s of irradiation of NIR light (1.5 W/cm2, beam diameter = 0.5 cm), thanks to its excellent shape memory effect and fast shape recovery ability. Meanwhile, the unfolded MN patch can be readily punctured into the heart and wrap the heart tightly, thanks to its sufficient mechanical strength and adjustable morphological structure, thus ensuring a high fixation strength to withstand the high-frequency pulsation of the heart. In addition, the prepared MN patch has low cytotoxicity and controllable and sustainable release of VEGF. More importantly, the MN patch can effectively promote neovascularization, reduce myocardial fibrosis, and restore cardiac function, which indicates its promising application prospects in MIS.

We designed novel biocompatible nanocomposite composed of gold nanorods coated with rod-like mesoporous silica SBA-15-SH particles, (GNRs@SBA-15-SH) as a new synergistic therapeutic device to deliver heat and drug to cancer cells for tumor eradication. For this purpose, doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded into GNRs@SBA-15-SH nanocomposites and studied their photothermal therapy, chemotherapy and the combined effect on the ablation of A549 cells in vitro using human lung cancer cells, A549. The results demonstrate the high photothermal efficacy of gold nanorods loaded into the nanocomposite, the thermo-responsive properties of GNRs@SBA-15-SH, the high loading capacity of DOX into the GNRs@SBA-15-SH and its biocompatibility. Synergistic chemo-photothermal of the GNRs@SBA-15-SH/DOX nanocomposite in the eradication of cancer cells under laser irradiation (808 nm), demonstrates the high potential of therapeutic efficacy of this combined therapy over monotherapies.

Thermoresponsive polymers incorporated with photo-absorbing agents have been widely utilized for controlled drug delivery using light as an external stimulus. However, previously developed thermoresponsive drug carriers have disadvantages such as low biocompatibility and implantation failure. In the present study, gold nanorods (GNRs)-encapsulated poly(N-vinyl caprolactam) (PVCL) (GNR-PVCL) microparticles were synthesized by the stop-flow lithography (SFL) method. The SFL method enabled the fabrication of near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive GNR-PVCL microparticles of uniform size, which can allow localized injection. Doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated into GNR-PVCL microparticles to achieve NIR light-responsive anticancer therapy. DOX-loaded GNR-PVCL (DOX-GNR-PVCL) microparticles exhibited NIR light-triggered drug release due to the photothermal effect of GNRs, which increases the local temperature above the volume phase transition temperature of GNR-PVCL microparticles. In addition, DOX-GNR-PVCL exhibited controlled DOX release in response to the periodic irradiation of NIR light. Moreover, we demonstrated the efficient intracellular release of DOX upon NIR light exposure, and thus, NIR light-responsive anticancer activity. This study demonstrates that DOX-GNR-PVCL microparticles have significant potential as implantable drug carriers enabling NIR light-triggered drug release.

Phototherapeutic approaches, including photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), have become a promising strategy to combat microbial pathogens and tackle the crisis brought about by antibiotic-resistant strains. Herein, porous gold nanoparticles (AuPNs) were synthesized as photothermal agents and loaded with indocyanine green (ICG), a common photosensitizer for PDT, to fabricate a nanosystem presenting near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered synchronous PTT and PDT effects. The AuPNs can not only convert NIR light into heat with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (50.6-68.5%), but also provide a porous structure to facilely load ICG molecules. The adsorption of ICG onto AuPNs was mainly driven by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with the surfactant layer of AuPNs, and the aggregate state of ICG significantly enhanced its generation of reactive oxygen species. Moreover, taking advantage of its synergistic PTT and PDT effect, the hybrid nanocomposites displayed a remarkable antibacterial effect to the gram-positive pathogen

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 solar spectral converters mainly involve the energy transfer between two codoped ions. Here, we report a series of Ce3+, Cr3+, Ln3+ (Ln = Yb, Nd, Er) tridoped Gd3Sc2Ga3O12 (GSGO) phosphors with improved absorption and increasing near infrared (NIR) emission. We observed the multiple energy transfer behaviors of Cr3+→Ln3+, Ce3+→Ln3+, Ce3+→Cr3+, and Ce3+→Cr3+→Ln3+ in GSGO matrix. When Ce3+ is introduced into the GSGO:Cr3+,Ln3+ phosphors, the energy transfer of Ce3+→Cr3+→Ln3+ has been realized by utilizing the energy transfer bridge of the Cr3+ ion. Consequently, GSGO:Ce3+,Cr3+,Ln3+ can absorb almost all ultraviolet and visible (UV–Vis) light and produce strong NIR light thanks to the synergistic effect of Ce3+→Cr3+→Ln3+, improving the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of c-Si solar cells. Our results show that the prepared GSGO:Ce3+,Cr3+,Ln3+ have the potential application in the solar spectral material for c-Si solar cells. Meanwhile, the strategy of multiple energy transfers gives a new way to design the spectral conversion materials with wider absorption for c-Si solar cells.

Various nanoplatforms have been developed to visualize intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) because of their clinical significance in tumor progression and diagnosis. However, the diffusion-limited motion of the nanoplatforms penalizes the miRNA imaging efficiency in cells. Herein, we fabricated a near-infrared (NIR) light-propelled Janus-based nanoplatform to advance the imaging response. The Janus nanomotor covered with an Au half-shell was loaded by the endocytosis adjuvant of the MnO2 nanosheet for delivering a miRNA-responsive hQN (hairpin DNA quadrangular nanostructure) probe with a catalyzed hairpin assembly (CHA). Once the nanoplatform entered into cells, the MnO2 nanosheet was degraded to Mn2+ by endogenous fuels (such as glutathione) to release the hQN probe. The NIR light irradiation of the nanoplatform generated a heat gradient and thus propelled motion of the nanoplatform. This process accelerated the intracellular reaction of the hQN probe with miRNAs to trigger the cascade CHA amplification with an enhanced fluorescence readout.

Due to its use of green and renewable energy and negligible bacterial resistance, photocatalytic bacterial inactivation is to be considered a promising sterilization process. Herein, we explore the relevant mechanisms of the photoinduced process on the active sites of semiconductors with an emphasis on the active sites of semiconductors, the photoexcited electron transfer, ROS-induced toxicity and interactions between semiconductors and bacteria. Pristine semiconductors such as metal oxides (TiO2 and ZnO) have been widely reported; however, they suffer some drawbacks such as narrow optical response and high photogenerated carrier recombination. Herein, some typical modification strategies will be discussed including noble metal doping, ion doping, hybrid heterojunctions and dye sensitization. Besides, the biosafety and biocompatibility issues of semiconductor materials are also considered for the evaluation of their potential for further biomedical applications. Furthermore, 2D materials have become promising candidates in recent years due to their wide optical response to NIR light, superior antibacterial activity and favorable biocompatibility. Besides, the current research limitations and challenges are illustrated to introduce the appealing directions and design considerations for the future development of photocatalytic semiconductors for antibacterial applications.

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%.

A non-toxic nano system using a cleverly designed dual light can be an important treatment strategy in cancer therapy. Here, we propose a unique concept of synergistic non-toxic nanoplatform, which operates with dual light. An apoferritin nano-platform whose surface was modified with Verteporfin (Visudyne (R)) and with ultra-small CuS nanoparticles in the center demonstrated the synergistic effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). The synergistic effect of PDT and PTT were achieved with 808 nm laser light and 690 nm LED light, respectively. These results not only give a new horizon to multifunctional nanostructures for biological applications but also show a new way to design the novel PDT and PTT agents.

Ovarian cancer survival and recurrence rate are drastically affected by the amount of tumor that can be surgically removed prior to chemotherapy. Surgeons are currently limited to visual inspection, making smaller tumors difficult to remove surgically. Enhancing the surgeon’s ability to selectively remove cancerous tissue would have a positive effect on a patient’s prognosis. One approach to aid in surgical tumor removal involves using targeted fluorescent probes to selectively label cancerous tissue. To date, there has been a trade off in balancing two requirements for the surgeon: the ability to see maximal tumors and the ability to identify these tumors by eye while performing the surgery. The ability to see maximal tumors has been prioritized and this has led to the use of fluorophores activated by near-infrared (NIR) light as NIR penetrates most deeply in this surgical setting, but the light emitted by traditional NIR fluorophores is invisible to the naked eye. This has necessitated the use of specialty detectors and monitors that the surgeon must consult while performing the surgery. In this study, we develop nanoparticles that selectively label ovarian tumors and are activated by NIR light but emit visible light. This potentially allows for maximal tumor observation and real time detection by eye during surgery. We designed two generations of up-converting nanoparticles (UCNPs) that emit green light when illuminated with NIR light. These particles specifically label ovarian tumors most likely via tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are prominent in the tumor microenvironment. Our results demonstrate that this approach is viable means of visualizing tumors during surgery without the need for complicated, expensive, and bulky detection equipment. Continued improvement and experimentation could expand our approach into a much needed surgical technique to aid ovarian tumor removal.

Bacterial infections are becoming a serious public health challenge because the abuse of antibiotics worldwide has caused bacterial resistance and the occurrence of superbugs. In this work, a new near-infrared (NIR) photoresponsive coating was constructed on Ti implant material, which was composed of MnO2, IR780 photosensitizer and polydopamine (PDA). Under the irradiation of 808 nm NIR light, the component of MnO2 in the coating exhibited high photothermal performance, and IR780 could be stimulated to generate ROS as a photosensitizer. The addition of PDA not only improved the cytocompatibility of the composite coating but also strengthened the light absorption ability of the system. Under the irradiation of 808 nm NIR light for 15 min, the composite coating killed 99.94% Staphylococcus aureus and 99.89% Escherichia coli on Ti plates. This rapid and highly effective bactericidal rate was ascribed to the synergistic effects of photothermal performance and photodynamic effect of the coatings excited by NIR light. Cell culture tests showed that PDA/IR780@MnO2–Ti had good cytocompatibility due to the excellent biocompatibility of PDA and nanostructured surface. Therefore, this surface system will be a very promising plateform to safely and effectively kill bacteria on biomedical devices and implants in a short time.

Bacterial contamination is a severe issue that affects medical devices, hospital tools and surfaces. When microorganisms adhere to a surface (e.g., medical devices or implants) they can develop into a biofilm, thereby becoming more resistant to conventional biocides and disinfectants. Nanoparticles can be used as an antibacterial agent in medical instruments or as a protective coating in implantable devices. In particular, attention is being drawn to photothermally active nanoparticles that are capable of converting absorbed light into heat. These nanoparticles can efficiently eradicate bacteria and biofilms upon light activation (predominantly near the infrared to near-infrared spectral region) due a rapid and pronounced local temperature increase. By using this approach new, protective, antibacterial surfaces and materials can be developed that can be remotely activated on demand. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the art regarding the application of various photothermally active nanoparticles and their corresponding nanocomposites for the light-triggered eradication of bacteria and biofilms.

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.

The development of a highly effective photosensitizer (PS) that can be activated with a low-power single light is a pressing issue. Herein, we report a PS for synergistic photodynamic and photothermal therapy constructed through self-assembly of poly(selenoviologen) on the surface of core-shell NaYF4:Yb/Tm@NaYF4 upconversion nanoparticles. The hybrid UCNPs/PSeV PS showed strong ROS generation ability and high photothermal conversion efficiency (∼52.5%) under the mildest reported-to-date irradiation conditions (λ = 980 nm, 150 mW/cm2, 4 min), leading to a high efficiency in killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) both in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, after intravenous injection, the reported PS accumulated preferentially in deep MRSA-infected tissues and achieved an excellent therapeutic index. This PS design realizes a low-power single-NIR light-triggered synergistic phototherapy and provides a simple and versatile strategy to develop safe clinically translatable agents for efficient treatment of deep tissue bacterial inflammations.

Exported fresh intact pineapples must fulfill the minimum internal quality requirement of 12 degree brix. Even though near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic approaches are promising to non-destructively and rapidly assess the internal quality of intact pineapples, these approaches involve expensive and complex NIR spectroscopic instrumentation. Thus, this research evaluates the performance of a proposed pre-dispersive NIR light sensing approach in non-destructively classifying the Brix of pineapples using K-fold cross-validation, holdout validation, and sensitive analysis. First, the proposed pre-dispersive NIR sensing device that consisted of a light sensing element and five NIR light emitting diodes with peak wavelengths of 780, 850, 870, 910, and 940 nm, respectively, was developed. After that, the diffuse reflectance NIR light of intact pineapples was non-destructively acquired using the developed NIR sensing device before their Brix values were conventionally measured using a digital refractometer. Next, an artificial neural network (ANN) was trained and optimized to classify the Brix values of pineapples using the acquired NIR light. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that either one wavelength that was near to the water absorbance or chlorophyll band was redundant in the classification. The performance of the trained ANN was tested using new pineapples with the optimal classification accuracy of 80.56%. This indicates that the proposed pre-dispersive NIR light sensing approach coupled with the ANN is promising to be an alternative to non-destructively classifying the internal quality of fruits.

Light-mediated therapy has many unique merits but monotherapy strategies rarely completely inhibit tumor growth because resistance often develops. Combination therapy is a promising strategy in oncology and has demonstrated superior safety and efficacy over monotherapy. Here, we conjugated a scintillator complex and gold nanorod nanosensitizer for dual-modal image-guided photothermal and X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT). Lanthanide complexes were successfully conjugated and offer excellent X-ray-excited optical luminescence for PDT effects. The strong near-infrared (NIR) light and X-ray absorption abilities of gold nanorods make the nanosensitizer function as both a photothermal agent for photothermal therapy and a radiosensitizer for enhanced radiotherapy. The studies in vitro and in vivo demonstrated that the nanosensitizer offers good dual-modal imaging capability and significantly suppresses tumor progression under NIR light and X-ray irradiation. This work shows the great potential of conjugating scintillator lanthanide complexes and gold nanosensitizers for multimodal image-guided therapy of deep-seated tumors.

Highly effective utilization of solar light is very important for water treatment via photocatalysis. To achieve this goal, we designed and synthesized an efficient full-spectrum-response photocata...

Optically induced meta-stable states in the semiconductor lattice temporarily change the conductivity which leads to a phenomenon called persistent photo-conductivity (PPC). We report a PPC effect with long retention time of more than 90 h in solution-processed highly transparent CuO thin film. A 254 nm wavelength light source was used to `set' and thermal annealing at 50°C for 10 minutes and NIR illumination was used to reset PPC effect. Activated trap states without any stimulus which are responsible for PPC effect in CuO thin film has, been investigated by performing temperature-dependent I-V characterization. These trapped charges are released either on heating or illumination with NIR light source. Such a long-enduring PPC achieved in low-cost transparent CuO thin film could pave the way for further study of the feasibility of optically defined, transparent electronics.

Herein, we have developed a composite antibacterial hydrogel with photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) antibacterial capabilities, triggered by white light and NIR light irradiation. A water-insoluble conjugated polymer (PDPP) with photothermal ability was prepared into nanoparticles by the nanoprecipitation method, and the cell-penetrating peptide TAT was grafted on the surface of the nanoparticles. Based on our previous work that developed a hybrid hydrogel with an enhanced PDT effect from polyisocyanide (PIC) hydrogel and cationic conjugated polythiophene (PMNT), PDPP nanoparticles (CPNs-TAT) with photothermal ability are introduced to realize the synergistic antibacterial effect of PDT and PTT. Using the PIC hydrogel to combine PIC and CPNs-TAT has the following advantages. First, the PIC hydrogel can regulate the aggregation state of PMNT, making it better dispersed and improving its capacity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Second, CPNs-TAT can be uniformly dispersed in the PIC hybrid, thereby avoiding the toxicity caused by too high local concentration, achieving a uniform increase in system temperature, and enhancing the therapeutic effect of PTT. Third, the PIC hybrid has the synergistic treatment effect of PDT and PTT. The PIC hybrid intelligently regulates its antibacterial ability through white light and NIR light, which can be used in the white light and NIR light areas. When irradiated with white light and NIR light sequentially, synergistic PDT and PTT exhibit stronger antibacterial ability than PDT or PTT alone. The combination of two antibacterial methods realizes the dual-control antibacterial hydrogel of PDT and PTT and provides an antibacterial mode based on PIC hybrids. Therefore, the PIC hybrids are promising as an antibacterial excipient for clinical wounds.

Cephalopods can display variable body color/patterns upon environmental stimulation via bioelectricity-controlled muscle contraction/expansion of skin chromatophores. However, it remains challenging to produce artificial display analogs that exhibit reversible and rapid switching between multiple expected luminescent patterns, although such systems are very appealing for many practical uses (e.g., data encryption). Inspired by the bioelectromechanical display tactic of cephalopods, in this work, a conceptually new photomechanically modulated fluorescent system that enables on-demand display of fluorescent patterns via a cascading stimulation-mechanical movement-optical output conduction mechanism is presented. Specifically, this biomimetic system comprises a customizable hollow display panel and a bottom-tethered photothermally responsive fluorescent actuator. Under NIR light, the photomechanically bending movements of the fluorescent actuator will immediately cover the hollow window of the display panel and synchronously manifest as the display of fluorescent patterns. Owing to its desirable time- and light-power-dependent actuating behaviors, diverse fluorescent patterns/information can be dynamically and reversibly displayed by facilely controlling this single remote NIR signal. This bioinspired strategy is universal and promising for fabricating on-demand fluorescent display platforms that combine a wide choice of fluorophores, remote control with high spatial/temporal precision, and especially single-input multiple-output features.

Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) material has intrigued increasing attentions with its energy saving potential and smart cloth feature. In this work, PDRC cotton fabric with superhydrophobicity, ultraviolet protection and self-cleaning competency was successful constructed through the deposition chemically-stable potassium titanate whiskers (PTW) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) onto cotton fibers. While featured with ultra-high contact angle of 151.9±0.9 °, the synthesized fabric marked an average temperature drop of ~5.1 ℃, bestowed to its high sunlight reflectivity of 83 % and infrared emissivity of nearly 90 %. On the other hand, real human tests further confirmed the practicality of the modified cotton fabric, with the recorded temperature drops ranged from 3.1~4.7 ℃ under direct sunlight. Such performance elucidated a significant improvement upon PTW/PDMS modification, which outperformed that of pristine cotton fabric. Surmising from these, the synthesized superhydrophobic fabric exhibits advantageous techno-economical index with its excellent performance and simple preparation, therefore manifesting limitless application potential, particularly in outdoor clothing and other facilities.

Temperature-sensitive liposomes (TSLs) have received constant attention due to the release of contents around the physiological temperature, which holds great potential in the treatment of tumors. However, the development of TSLs is limited by the long-term biotoxicity and low photothermal conversion efficiency of heat-generation materials. In this study, we develop a new D-A (donor-acceptor) structure NIR absorbing dye (C720) which exhibits a high photothermal conversion efficiency (62%), good photostability, and photothermal reproducibility. Then C720 is doped in the lipid bilayer and DOX (doxorubicin) is wrapped in the core of temperature sensitive liposomes to construct a C720 and DOX-loaded thermosensitive nanoplatform (CDTSL). The as-prepared CDTSL achieves NIR light controlled drug release and can be applied for photoacoustic imaging. In vitro and in vivo studies confirm that CDTSL exhibits high tumor suppressive efficiency by synergistic photothermal therapy and chemotherapy. Our research provides fundamental insights for the rational design and preparation of a promising nanoplatform for photoacoustic imaging and chemo-photothermal therapy.

Organic chromophores have been well developed for multimodality imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) due to their outstanding optical properties and excellent designability. However, the theranostic efficiencies of most currently available organic chromophores are restricted intrinsically, owing to their poor photostability or complex synthesis procedures. These drawbacks not only increase their cost of synthesis, but also cause side effects in PTT. Method: We presented a facile strategy for constructing a near-infrared (NIR)-absorbing perylenediimide structured with pH-responsive piperazine ring at the bay region. The chromophore was conjugated with carboxyl-end-capped PEG as side chains that can self-assemble into nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solution. The NIR optical properties and photothermal conversation ability of PPDI-NPs were investigated. We then studied the imaging-guided PTT of PPDI-NPs under NIR light illumination in 4T1 cells and mice respectively. Results: The excellent photostable PPDI-NPs had near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) emission and high photothermal conversion efficiency in acidic microenvironment. Importantly, PPDI-NPs can be utilized for the precise detection of tumors by NIRF/photoacoustic/thermal trimodality imaging. Efficient PTT of PPDI-NPs was applied in vitro and in vivo with high biosafety. Conclusion: In summary, we developed pH-responsive perylenediimide nanoparticles as multifunctional phototheranostic agent with high stability and simple synthesis procedures. This study offers a promising organic chromophore for developing phototheranostics in cancer therapy.

Inspired by blood vessel's unique layered and wrinkled morphology for sensing and controlling vascular resistance, here we report a double-layered, highly stretchable, and thermo-/NIR-responsive PNIPAM/clay/MXene hydrogel@thermoplastic elastomer (PCMH@TPE) hybrid microtube with a self-wrinkling surface. The stimuli-induced dynamic wrinkling, excellent elastic recovery, and channel size responsiveness render the microtube with ultrahigh hydraulic pressure sensitivity in response to tensile strain, compression, temperature and remote NIR light, as well as easy flow regulation. We demonstrate that a new elastomer/hydrogel hybrid strategy is opened for smart tubular structures with surface wrinkling that may inspire new research in mimicking the fascinating functions of blood vessels in the monitoring and feedback regulation of everchanging flow pressure.

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.

Current sutures have disadvantages such as poor antibacterial activities, low healing effects, and a lack of self-degradation ability. To solve these problems, here a biocompatible and dual light (yellow and NIR light) responsive porous ZnO (PZ) was synthesized to modify silk thread to improve the healing rate, antibacterial activities and controlled self-degradation speed simultaneously. The prepared silk thread was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Besides, the antibacterial activity, degradation, dual light responsive capability and cytocompatibility of the sample were evaluated. The obtained data strongly encourage the application of this silk thread for wound treatment. Furthermore, in vivo evaluation in mice revealed that the silk thread reduced surgical-site infection and enhanced wound healing. Therefore, this silk thread shows potential for application in wound treatment clinically.

The overprescription and improper use of antibiotics have contributed to the evolution of bacterial resistance, making it urgent to develop alternative therapies and agents with better efficacy as well as less toxicity to combat bacterial infections and keep new resistance from developing. In this work, a novel light-activable nano-antibiotic platform (TC-PCM@GNC-PND) was constructed by the incorporation of gold nanocages (GNC) and two thermosensitive gatekeepers, phase-change materials (PCM) and thermosensitive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PND), to realize precisely the synergy of photothermal and antimicrobial drugs. GNC exhibits an excellent photothermal effect owing to its strong absorbance in the near-infrared (NIR) region, and hollow interiors make it a favorable vehicle for loading various antibiotics such as tetracycline (TC). The release of the encapsulated drugs could be precisely controlled by NIR light through the dual thermosensitive interaction of liquid-solid transition of PCM and coil-granule transition of PND, improving efficacy and alleviating side effects with on-demand drug release. The thermosensitive hydrogel was formed in situ upon application with body temperature, enhancing retention of the antimicrobial agent in local infectious sites. Highly effective ablation of bacteria is achieved both in vitro and in periodontitis models with little toxicity owing to the synergy of photothermal effects and chemotherapeutic drug release induced by NIR. This study could provide guidance for the design of antibacterial materials and shed substantial light on synergistic treatment.

On-fiber micro-structures are favorable platforms for sensing in aqueous environments. Durable in-liquid operation with NIR light transmitted through fused optical microknot fibers defined on adiabatic tapers is presented in straight versus folded configurations. We suggest and demonstrate two schemes for OMF deployment: folded configuration which is intended for remote sensing, and straight configuration on either hydrophilic or hydrophobic substrate, the latter of which is useful in packaged geometries. We study experimentally the OMF preparation methods in folded, straight on glass surface and straight on PDMS surfaces. The persistent detection of NIR light transmission resonances in the presence of volatile liquid capabilities are experimentally demonstrated in the various configurations.

In vivo noninvasively manipulating biological functions by the mediation of biosafe near infrared (NIR) light is becoming increasingly popular. For these applications, upconversion rare-earth nanomaterial holds great promise as a novel photonic element, and has been widely adopted in optogenetics. In this article, an upconversion optogenetic nanosystem that was promised to achieve autophagy up-regulation with spatiotemporal precision was designed. The implantable, wireless, recyclable, less-invasive and biocompatible system worked via two separated parts: blue light-receptor optogenetics-autophagy upregulation plasmids, for protein import; upconversion rods-encapsulated flexible capsule (UCRs-capsule), for converting tissue-penetrative NIR light into local visible blue light. Results validated that this system could achieve up-regulation of autophagy in vitro (in both HeLa and 293T cell lines) and remotely penetrate tissue (∼3.5 mm) in vivo. Since autophagy serves at a central position in intracellular signalling pathways, which is correlative with diverse pathologies, we expect that this method could establish an upconversion material-based autophagy up-regulation strategy for fundamental and clinical applications.

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.

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.

International audience; Photoinduced thermal polymerization upon Near-InfraRed (NIR) light has been recently reported in the literature as an efficient tool for polymer synthesis. In these different studies, a component capable to convert a NIR light into heat (called hereafter heater) was used in combination with a thermal initiator, promoting the Free-Radical Polymerization (FRP) of acrylate monomer. In this work, a completely different approach was developed since polymeric materials containing a very low amount of a stimuli-responsive compound were prepared by using a benchmark UV photoinitiator. As the stimuli-responsive compound, an

Early diagnosis and efficient therapy are very important for cancer management. Among the various intelligent delivery systems, near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered polymeric nanomicelles (PNMs) have emerged as a promising approach for imaging and photoactive delivery. This platform can be used for spatially and temporally controlled remote release of therapeutic payload molecules under NIR light irradiation. This review discusses the design and characteristics of PNMs as well as their recent application in imaging, drug delivery, and theranostics in photothermal and photodynamic therapy. The challenges and potential of PNMs in biomedical applications are also highlighted.

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).

Theranostic nanoplatforms integrating simultaneously photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) exhibit intrinsic advantages in tumor therapy due to distinct mechanisms of action. However, it is challenging to achieve PDT and PTT under single near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation with a nanoplatform utilizing conventional organic photodynamic agent and inorganic photothermal agent owing to the difference in inherent excitation wavelengths. Particularly, the single NIR light (660 nm)-triggered PTT and PDT nanoplatform, constructed from chlorin e6 (Ce6) and copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles (NPs), has never been reported. Herein, we, for the first time, designed and established a dual-modal phototherapeutic nanoplatform that achieved both PTT and PDT under single NIR laser (660 nm) irradiation for Ce6 and CuS NPs with the strategy of core & ndash;shell structured CuS@Carbon inte-grated with Ce6. Introducing of carbon shell not only endows small CuS NPs with excellent tumor accu-mulation, but also significantly strengthens the photothermal performance of CuS NPs, realizing efficient photothermal performance under 660 nm laser irradiation. Moreover, Ce6 in carbon shell endowed the nanoplatform with photodynamic effect under 660 nm laser irradiation. The as-prepared Ce6/ CuS@Carbon nanoplatform thus achieved dual-modal phototherapy under single NIR laser irradiation, significantly inhibiting tumor growth with minimal adverse effects and superior biosafety. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Multimodal imaging with NIR light is of great interest in medical research as its feasibility in combining with various techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), ultrasound (US), and photoacoustic (PA) imaging. This chapter gives an overview and backgrounds of diverse contrast agents for NIR mulimodal imaging associated with MRI, CT, PET/SPECT, and PA as a primal modality. It highlights potential applications in therapeutic practice using NIR light.

Latent fingerprint development plays an important role in forensic sciences. In the last two decades, various fluorescent nanomaterials have been used to develop latent fingerprints, of which rare earth ion–doped upconversion nanomaterials (UCNMs) are outstanding examples. The use of UCNMs is advantageous for several reasons, including high contrast due to the strong fluorescence signal and negligible background interference, high sensitivity owing to the tunable nanoparticle size, and high selectivity arising from the proper particle morphology with suitable absorbability. In most cases, NaYF4:Yb,Er UCNM-based development involves a single near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible (VIS) process, enabling the observation of fingerprints by detecting VIS light under NIR light excitation. Inspiringly, other infrequently used UCNMs, such as NaYbF4:Tm, can irradiate both NIR and VIS emissions under NIR excitation, making it possible to develop latent fingerprints in dual modes, namely, through both NIR-to-NIR and NIR-to-VIS process. In this work, we synthesized high-quality NaYbF4:Tm UCNMs as fluorescent markers for dual-mode development of latent fingerprints. We found that our NaYbF4:Tm UCNM–based method exhibited high contrast, high sensitivity, high selectivity, and extensive applicability in fingerprint development under both NIR-to-VIS and NIR-to-NIR modes. We expect that this work will open up a new avenue in the application of UCNMs to develop latent fingerprints under dual modes in forensic sciences.

In this study, Li-based blue- and green-emitting core@shell (C@S) upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) and NaGdF4-based red-emitting C@S UCNPs were synthesized, and IR-808 dyes were conjugated with the C@S UCNPs to enhance upconversion (UC) luminescence. The surface of the as-synthesized C@S UCNPs, which was originally capped with oleic acid, was modified with BF4&minus, to conjugate the IR-808 dye having a carboxyl functional group to the surface of the UCNPs. After the conjugation with IR-808 dyes, absorbance of the UCNPs was significantly increased. As a result, dye-sensitized blue (B)-, green (G)-, and red (R)-emitting UCNPs exhibited 87-fold, 10.8-fold, and 110-fold enhanced UC luminescence compared with B-, G-, and R-emitting Nd3+-doped C@S UCNPs under 800 nm near-infrared (NIR) light excitation, respectively. Consequently, dye-sensitized UCNPs exhibiting strong UC luminescence under 800 nm NIR light excitation have high applicability in a variety of biological applications.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a clinically approved cancer treatment strategy, features non-invasiveness, few side-effects, high spatial resolution, etc. The advancement of PDT has been significantly restricted by the penetration depth of the excitation light. Herein, an effective fluorogen, TBD, with aggregation-induced emission characteristics (AIEgen) and high reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) generation efficiency was reported and integrated with a near infrared (NIR) light excitable upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) to construct NIR light excitable UCNP@TBD nanocomposites. The formed nanocomposite has excellent photostability, good biocompatibility, and efficient ROS generation under NIR light excitation via Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), enabling NIR light excited PDT. Moreover, the proposed NIR light excited PDT can break the impasse between the penetration depth and excitation volume in conventional PDT, effectively improving the anticancer therapeutic outcome. In vitro cancer cell ablation and in vivo tumor growth inhibition validated that the proposed UCNP@TBD nanocomposite is a promising NIR light excitable PDT agent with great potential for future translational research.

Recently, video plethysmography (VPG) – a heart rate estimation technique using a video camera – has gained significant attention. Most studies of VPG have used a visible RGB camera; only a limited number of studies investigating near-infrared light (wavelength 750–2500 nm), which can be used even in a dark environment, have been performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between VPG data collected using visible light (VPG VIS ) or near-infrared light (VPG NIR ) from four facial areas (forehead, right cheek, left cheek, and nose). An experiment was conducted to obtain both VPG VIS and VPG NIR simultaneously by alternately irradiating the face with NIR and VIS lights. Experimental results showed that the root mean squared error of heart rate estimated using VPG NIR was 1 bpm higher than that of VPG VIS . However, contrary to our expectations, the power of the heartbeat-related component included in VPG NIR was not reduced despite the absorbance of hemoglobin in the NIR light range being 1/100 of that in the VIS light range. This result supports the hypothesis that a main factor in the generation of VPG waves was change in the optical properties caused by blood vessels compressing the subcutaneous tissue and the venous bed. Additionally, the accuracy of the heart rate estimation using VPG tended to be high when the nose was set as the ROI. This result was likely associated with the anatomical structure of the nose.

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.