A facile strategy to fabricate gold nanorod@polyacrylic acid/calcium phosphate (AuNR@PAA/CaP) yolk-shell nanoparticles (NPs) composed with a PAA/CaP shell and an AuNR yolk is reported. The as-obtained AuNR@PAA/CaP yolk-shell NPs possess ultrahigh doxorubicin (DOX) loading capability (1 mg DOX/mg NPs), superior photothermal conversion property (26%) and pH/near-infrared (NIR) dual-responsive drug delivery performance. The released DOX continuously increased due to the damage of the CaP shell at low pH values. When the DOX-loaded AuNR@PAA/CaP yolk-shell NPs were exposed to NIR irradiation, a burst-like drug release occurs owing to the heat produced by the AuNRs. Furthermore, AuNR@PAA/CaP yolk-shell NPs are successfully employed for synergic dual-mode X-ray computed tomography (CT)/photoacoustic (PA) imaging and chemo-photothermal cancer therapy. Therefore, this work brings new insights for the synthesis of multifunctional nanomaterials and extends theranostic applications.

报道了一种容易的策略来制备由PAA / CaP壳和AuNR卵黄组成的金纳米棒@聚丙烯酸/磷酸钙（AuNR @ PAA / CaP）卵黄壳纳米颗粒（NPs）。所获得的AuNR @ PAA / CaP蛋黄壳NP具有超高的阿霉素（DOX）负载能力（1 mg DOX / mg NP），优异的光热转化性能（26％）和pH /近红外（NIR）双重响应药物输送性能。由于CaP壳在低pH值下的损坏，释放的DOX持续增加。当将装载DOX的AuNR @ PAA / CaP卵黄壳NP暴露在NIR照射下时，由于AuNR产生的热量，会发生突释状药物释放。此外，AuNR @ PAA / CaP卵黄壳NP已成功用于协同双模X射线计算机断层扫描（CT）/光声（PA）成像和化学光热癌症治疗。