Phase and morphological control of MoO 3−x nanostructures for efficient cancer theragnosis therapy

nanoclusters showed a desirable size of ∼40 nm in diameter exhibiting unique properties as a theragnosis nanoplatform: (1) strong near-infrared absorption, which is due to oxygen vacancies of the nanoclusters, as proved by photoluminescence spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; (2) excellent photothermal performance with a photothermal conversion efficiency of up to 62.1%; and (3) the image response of X-ray computed tomography (CT) and infrared thermal imaging for simultaneous diagnosis of tumors. This study provided the facile synthetic strategy for controllable metal oxide semiconductors and promoted the development of metal oxides for theragnosis therapy of cancers.