Dual-Ligand Assisted Anisotropic Assembly for the Construction of NIR-II Light-Propelled Mesoporous Nanomotors

The advent of autonomous nanomotors presents exciting opportunities for nanodrug delivery. However, significant potential remains for enhancing the asymmetry of nanomotors and advancing the development of second near-infrared (NIR-II) light-propelled nanomotors capable of operating within deep tissues. Herein, we developed a dual-ligand assisted anisotropic assembly strategy that enables precise regulation of the interfacial energy between selenium (Se) nanoparticle and periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO). This strategy facilitates the controllable anisotropic growth of PMO on the Se nanoparticle, leading to the formation of Se&PMO Janus nanohybrids. The exposure ratio of the Se subunit within the Janus nanohybrids can be finely tuned from 0% to 75%. Leveraging the transformability of the Se subunit, a variety of functional MxSe&PMO Janus nanocomposites (MxSe denotes metal selenide) were further derived. As a proof of concept, CuSe&PMO Janus nanohybrids, with NIR-II photothermal properties, were employed as NIR-II light-driven nanomotors. By precisely controlling the exposure ratio of the CuSe subunit within the Janus nanostructure, these CuSe&PMO nanomotors achieved optimal self-propulsion, thus enhancing cellular uptake and promoting deep tumor penetration. Furthermore, the high loading capacity and hydrophobic framework of the PMO subunit enabled the incorporation of hydrophobic disulfiram, thereby significantly boosting the efficacy of synergistic active-motion photothermal therapy.