Rhodium–Tellurium Nanorod Synthesis Using Galvanic Replacement-Polyol Regrowth for Thermo-Dynamic Dual-Modal Cancer Phototherapy

Rh is a noble metal introduced in bioapplications, including diagnosis and therapy, in addition to its consolidated utilization in organic catalysis and electrocatalysis. Herein, we designed the synthesis of highly crystalline Rh nanocrystal-decorated Rh–Te nanorods (RhTeNRs) through galvanic replacement of sacrificial Te nanorod (TeNR) templates and subsequent polyol regrowth. The obtained RhTeNRs showed excellent colloidal stability and efficient heat dissipation and photocatalytic activity under various laser irradiation wavelengths. Based on the confirmed biocompatibility, RhTeNRs were introduced into in vitro and in vivo cancer phototherapies. The results confirmed the selective physical death of cancer cells in the local area through laser irradiation. While chemotherapy does not guarantee successful treatment due to side effects and resistance, phototherapy using heat and reactive oxygen species generation of RhTeNRs induces physical death.