Dual-modal imaging and excellent anticancer efficiency of cisplatin and doxorubicin loaded NaGdF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles

NaGdF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles were synthesized via a modified hydrothermal route. The dependence of structure and morphology on the dosage of sodium polyacrylate was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-prepared nanoparticles could be used for T-2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging due to the paramagnetism of Gd3+. cis-dichlorodiamineplatinum (CDDP) could be loaded onto NaGdF4:Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles through binding carboxyl in the form of Pt-O bonds, and doxorubicin (DOX) could be loaded via hydrogen bonding. DOX could also be loaded onto the NaGdF4-CDDP composite in the same manner, and the loading efficiency of both drugs remained unchanged. Three as-prepared drug delivery systems were used for tumor inhibition both in vitro and in vivo, and the results indicated that NaGdF4-CDDP-DOX displayed the greatest inhibitory capacity.