A highly photothermal stability Au@Cu2 − xSe nanoprobe for photoacoustic-imaging guided dual enhanced NIR- II photothermal/chemodynamic therapy

The deep-seated locations and hypoxic microenvironments of tumors critically hinder conventional phototherapies. To overcome these limitations, we engineered a novel Au@Cu 2 − x Se nanoprobe via precise aspect ratio control of gold nanorods for NIR-II plasmonic resonance and site-specific growth of Cu 2 − x Se domains, resulting in the formation of a unique “lollipop” nanostructure. This design enables single-wavelength NIR-II laser-activated photothermal therapy and dynamic dual-modal therapy with intrinsic hypoxia tolerance: the nanoprobes achieve exceptional photothermal stability while simultaneously driving photothermally enhanced chemodynamic activity through accelerated Fenton-like catalytic cycles. Crucially, this strategy not only eradicates deep tumors but also activates systemic antitumor immunity. Combined with real-time photoacoustic imaging guidance, the platform establishes an oxygen-independent paradigm for treating hypoxic solid tumors.