Metal sulfide quantum dots for photothermal and photodynamic cancer therapy

Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, highlighting the urgent need for safe and effective therapeutic strategies. Photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have emerged as promising approaches for tumour treatment. Quantum dots (QDs), semiconductor nanocrystals with unique quantum effects, offer significant potential in these therapies. Among them, metal sulfide quantum dots (MS QDs), with particle sizes ranging from 1 to 10 nm, stand out due to their excellent fluorescence, chemical stability, photophysical properties, and biocompatibility. These attributes make MS QDs particularly suitable for combined PTT/PDT in cancer therapy. This review systematically discusses the synthesis methods of MS QDs and highlights recent advancements in their application for PTT/PDT combination therapy. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future development of MS QDs in phototherapeutic applications. The bibliography includes 275 references.