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Abstract
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Metal-based compounds play a crucial role in cancer treatments. Strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, good
photothermal conversion efficiency, and versatile surface chemistry make them effective agents for photothermal
therapy. However, challenges such as systemic toxicity, aggregation, and hydrophobicity hinder their clinical
operation. LDHs offer excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, yet they sometimes suffer from limited
photothermal conversion efficiency. Combining metal sulfides with LDHs exploits their complementary properties
to enhance therapeutic outcomes, improving stability, dispersion, biocompatibility, and treatment efficiency
through synergistic effects. In this study, copper-based mixed metal sulfide (MMS) nanomaterials
(CuCoFeS (1:1:1,3:1:1)) were synthesized via a straightforward method using layered double hydroxide (LDH)
precursors as templates. The transformation of LDH precursors into MMS was confirmed through X-ray
diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
The morphology of synthesized nanomaterials has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and
High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM). According to reflectance spectroscopy (DRS),
CuCoFeS (1:1:1,3:1:1) showed strong near-infrared (NIR) absorption, an essential feature for biomedical use.
When exposed to an 808 nm NIR laser, the copper-based MMS exhibited a marked temperature rise that
depended on concentration, reaching a photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 51.2% and 54.1% for
CuCoFeS (1:1:1) and CuCoFeS (3:1:1) nanoparticles, respectively. In vitro experiments demonstrated effective
photothermal destruction of cancer cells under NIR irradiation. The result of Flow cytometric analysis of cell
uptake and in vitro live and dead cells has been conducted. The synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated efficient
cellular internalization and marked cytotoxic activity, as evidenced by
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