Poly(ethylene glycol) conjugated nano-graphene oxide for photodynamic therapy

A novel methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) modified nano-graphene oxide(NGO-mPEG) was designed and synthesized as a photosensitizer(PS) carrier for photodynamic therapy of cancer.NGO with a size below 200 nm was prepared using a modified Hummers’ method.NGO was observed by AFM to exhibit a structure with single-layer graphene oxide sheets down to a few nanometers in height.Hydrophilic mPEG conjugation of NGO(NGO-mPEG) was found to enhance solubility in cell culture media.No apparent cytotoxicity of the NGO-mPEG was observed towards MCF-7 carcinoma cell line.Zinc phthalocyanine(ZnPc),a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy,was loaded in the NGO-PEG through π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions,with the drug loading efficiency up to 14 wt%.Hydrophobic ZnPc was internalized in MCF-7 cells,exhibiting a pronounced phototoxicity in the cells under Xe light irradiation.The results indicate a great potential of NGO-mPEG for photodynamic therapy of cancer.