The interfacial microcracks in the resin matrix composites are difficult to be detected and repaired. However, the self-healing concept provides opportunities to fabricate composites with unusual properties. In the present study, photothermal conversion Ag–Cu ₂ S nanoparticles were immobilized onto poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers via a polydopamine chemistry. Benefitting from the photothermal effects of Ag–Cu ₂ S, the obtained PBO fibers (Ag–Cu ₂ S–PBO) efficiently converted the light energy into heat under Xenon lamp irradiation. Then, single PBO fiber composites were prepared using thermoplastic polyurethane as the matrix. It was found that the interfacial damage caused by single fiber pull-out was simply self-healed by Xe light irradiation. This wonderful interfacial damage self-healing property was mainly attributed to the in situ heating generation via photothermal effects of Ag–Cu ₂ S in the composite interface. This paper reports a novel strategy to construct advanced composites with light-triggered self-healing properties, which will provide inspiration for preparing high performance composite materials.

Nanoparticles are being increasingly recognized for their potential utility in biological applications including nanomedicine. The aim of this study is to investigate a new strategy to combine the ZnO nanoparticles with graphene for targeting photodynamic therapy (PDT) under visible light irradiation. Folic acid (FA), a targeting agent toward tumor cells, was conjugated onto graphene oxide (GO) via imide linkage. Using a simple and effective chemical precipitation method, a GO–FA–ZnO nanohybrid was then prepared. The combination of ZnO with GO–FA induced a remarkable improvement in tumor targeting, which has been demonstrated by the cellular uptake assay. Due to the high electrical conductivity of graphene, the interaction between graphene and ZnO, and the inhibition of aggregation, the hybrid of GO–FA and ZnO significantly enhances the photodynamic activity. It was noted that the photodynamic activity of the non-cytotoxic GO–FA–ZnO is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation under visible light irradiation. Following the ROS generation, GO–FA–ZnO caused a significant decrease in cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, superoxide dismutase activity, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as an increase in malonodialdehyde production. Moreover, GO–FA–ZnO induced apoptotic death by elevating the caspase-3 activity. The study presents a novel tumor targeting photosensitizer and a promising strategy in PDT for cancer treatment.

The wonderful chemical structures and characteristics of low-dimensional carbon materials have exciting applications in life sciences. In the present study, we developed a facile strategy to conjugate C₆₀ with graphene via host–guest chemistry for targeted phototherapy. A versatile carrier based on folic acid-functionalized graphene (GO-FA) and comprising γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) at its surface was assembled via π–π interaction, creating hybrid structures with drug storage and tumor targeting properties. This γ-CD-modified graphene (GO-FA/Py-γ-CD) is capable of hosting pristine C₆₀ molecules for the fabrication of a GO-FA/Py-γ-CD/C₆₀ nanohybrid. The hybridization of GO-FA, γ-CD, and C₆₀ hinders the aggregation of C₆₀, promotes cellular uptake, enhances light absorption, and finally demonstrates enhanced phototherapy effects of GO-FA/Py-γ-CD/C₆₀. Under Xe lamp irradiation (2 W cm⁻²) for 4 min, GO-FA/Py-γ-CD/C₆₀ simultaneously causes heating and intracellular ROS production, which further significantly reduces the cell viability to 16.2% at low content of loading (30 μg mL⁻¹). Moreover, it represents an excellent tumor killing efficiency, better than that of the other reported graphene/C₆₀ nanohybrids; thus, this material is suitable for applications in phototherapy of cancer.