Shell-core COF@Co3O4 Z-scheme heterojunctions for triple amplification of oxidative stress to enhance nanocatalytic-sonodynamic tumor therapy

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Switzerland : 1996), 2023-03, Vol.460, p.141874, Article 141874
• Main Authors: Feng, Chuanqi, Hu, Jinyan, Xiao, Changrong, Yang, Jie, Xin, Bingwei, Jia, Zhen, Zhang, Shengnan, Tian, Guanfeng, Zhang, Dashuai, Geng, Longlong, Yan, Lang, Wang, Lumin, Geng, Bijiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Co3O4; Covalent organic frameworks; Nanozymes; Sonosensitizers; Z-scheme heterojunctions
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.141874

[Display omitted] •COF@Co3O4 Z-scheme junction was synthesized for nanocatalytic-sonodynamic tumor therapy.•Z-Scheme junction enhanced SDT performance by improving carrier separation dynamic.•Multiple enzyme-mimic catalytic activity was improved by constructing Z-scheme junction.•Complete tumor eradication was realized by COF@Co3O4 under single US irradiation. Constructing efficient nanozyme platforms with multiple amplification of tumor oxidative stress is crucial to enhance the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated tumor therapy. However, the inherent low catalytic activity and unsustainability of nanozymes in the highly complex tumor microenvironment (TME) severely restricted their clinical applications. Herein, we first reported a heterojunction (HJ)-enhanced nanocatalytic-sonodynamic therapy nanoplatform based on COF@Co3O4 Z-scheme HJs with shell-core architecture by coating COF on the surface of Co3O4 nanospheres. The as-prepared Co3O4 nanospheres not only exhibited excellent sonodynamic properties owing to the narrow bandgap (1.37 eV), but also possessed peroxidase-like, catalase-like, and glutathione peroxidase-like catalytic activities to realize the amplification of ROS levels and relieve tumor hypoxia due to the presence of multivalent Co element. More importantly, the ultrasound (US)-triggered ROS generation ability and triple enzyme-mimic activity of Co3O4 nanospheres were greatly enhanced by the encapsulation of COF to fabricate Z-scheme HJs with large interfacial contact area. Based on the improved spatial separation dynamics of US-generated electron-hole pairs and accelerate carrier transfer process, complete tumor eradication without recurrence was realized by the synergetic therapeutic effect of COF@Co3O4 through HJ-enhanced nanocatalytic-sonodynamic therapy. This work presents highly efficient nanozyme platforms with both multiple enzyme-mimic catalytic activity and sonodynamic properties, which will open up a promising approach to engineer semiconductor Z-scheme HJs for enhanced tumor therapy.