Dual‐Functional Iridium Complex for Tumor Treatment via Ultrasound Driven Water‐Splitting Oxygen Evolution Cascade Sonodynamic Therapy

Abstract Tumor treatment remains a major challenge. The efficacy of oxygen‐dependent dynamic therapies is often significantly reduced by the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. To overcome this limitation, a dual‐functional sonocatalyst is designed and developed based on an iridium complex (IrP). This catalyst can efficiently catalyze water splitting to produce oxygen under ultrasound stimulation. Theoretical calculations confirm that iridium metal serves as the primary active center for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This provides a continuous oxygen supply for enhancing the sonodynamic therapy (SDT) process. Under SDT, the generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) further induce apoptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells, thereby inhibiting tumor proliferation and triggering antitumor immune responses. This study proposes a novel cascade strategy that combines OER and SDT of tumors, providing a new approach to address the limitations of traditional oxygen‐dependent therapies.