Metal–Organic Framework-Derived Carbon as a Photoacoustic Modulator of Alzheimer’s β-Amyloid Aggregate Structure

Photoacoustic materials emit acoustic waves into the surrounding by absorbing photon energy. In an aqueous environment, light-induced acoustic waves form cavitation bubbles by altering the localized pressure to trigger the phase transition of liquid water into vapor. In this study, we report photoacoustic dissociation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) aggregates, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, by metal-organic framework-derived carbon (MOFC). MOFC exhibits a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive photoacoustic characteristic that possesses defect-rich and entangled graphitic layers that generate intense cavitation bubbles by absorbing tissue-penetrable NIR light. According to our video analysis, the photoacoustic cavitation by MOFC occurs within milliseconds in the water, which was controllable by NIR light dose. The photoacoustic cavitation successfully transforms robust, β-sheet-dominant neurotoxic Aβ aggregates into nontoxic debris by changing the asymmetric distribution of water molecules around the Aβ's amino acid residues. This work unveils the therapeutic potential of NIR-triggered photoacoustic cavitation as a modulator of the Aβ aggregate structure.