In this study, an innovative experiment for undergraduates was designed. Inspired by the efficient cellular entry mechanism of viruses, a virus-like nanophotothermal agent (AuNS@CuS) was constructed. This agent is composed of a gold nanostars (AuNS) core, which mimics viral surface protrusions, and a functional shell of in-situ-grown copper sulfide quantum dots (CuS QDs). Its morphology, physicochemical properties, and photothermal conversion performance were systematically studied. The experiment integrates material synthesis, characterization and performance testing. The operation is safe and controllable, and the results are intuitive and significant. It not only cultivates students’ abilities in material preparation, performance characterization, and data analysis but also effectively fosters their understanding of nanotechnology, interdisciplinary application skills, and innovative practical capabilities. The experimental process deeply integrates artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including the use of AI for literature research and analysis, experimental feed prediction, and mechanism exploration and scheme optimization of growth anomalies. The results show that the AI-assisted preparation of the virus-like nanophotothermal agent AuNS@CuS endows it with excellent near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion performance, good photothermal stability, and efficient cell uptake capability due to its virus-like structure, providing a new strategy for tumor photothermal therapy. This experimental design provides an interdisciplinary scientific research practice platform for undergraduates, effectively cultivates students’ interdisciplinary thinking and AI-enabled scientific research ability, and improves students’ cognition and application ability of the combination of nanomaterial preparation and AI technology.
Chen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.