CuS-NPs, GQD, MSN-NPs and doxorubicin: An excellent nano-compound for cancer treatment by chemo-photodynamic therapy

This study aims to create a nanocomposite that combines copper sulfide nanoparticles as a photosensitizer, graphene quantum dots as drug absorbers, mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a delivery mechanism, and doxorubicin, a traditional chemo dynamic drug used in cancer therapy. This novel nanocomposite aims to simultaneously utilize both photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy methods for cancer treatment. An 808 nm LED laser with 1 W power was used as a photodynamic therapy radiation source. Various techniques such as the transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller/Barrett–Joyner–Halenda analysis, infrared Fourier spectroscopy, and UV–visible analysis were employed to determine the structural characteristics and optical properties of the synthesized nonocomposite. The sizes of graphene quantum dots, copper sulfide nanoparticles, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles were found to be approximately 40 nm, 8 nm, and 50 nm, respectively. The porosity analysis and specific surface area revealed that the optimized mesoporous silica nanoparticles have a high specific surface area of 717.76 m ² g ⁻¹ , an appropriate pore size of 4.44 nm, and a well-defined pore volume of 0.99 cm ³ g ⁻¹ . These characteristics make them an up-and-coming agent for the delivery of anticancer drugs. The nanocomposite demonstrated a drug-loading capacity of 89%. Our findings showed a significant decrease in the absorption of anthracene composite after 10 min of laser irradiation, indicating the generation of reactive oxygen species.