Carbon dots with two-photon fluorescence imaging for efficient synergistic trimodal therapy

Applying the fluorescent carbon dots as smart materials in anticancer therapy is of great interest. However, carbon dots for multimodal synergistic anticancer therapy, especially for the triple modality, is rarely reported. Herein, we successfully synthesized OCDs by citric acid and (1R,2S)-2-amino-1,2-diphenylethan-1-ol, which show aggregation-induced emission property and two-photon fluorescence imaging. Meanwhile, OCDs are ideal photosensitizers for photothermal therapy under 808 nm and Type I photodynamic therapy with white light. Hydroxyl radicals, generated by Type I photodynamic therapy based on OCDs can transform protumoral M2 macrophages into antitumoral M1 macrophages, which exhibited immunotherapy ability. The synergism trimodal of OCDs results in potent anticancer efficacy, showing great potential in cancer therapy.