Au-Cu2-xSe heterogeneous nanocrystals for efficient photothermal heating for cancer therapy.In this study, we show that Au-Cu2-xSe heterogeneous nanocrystals have great promise for use in photothermal therapy (PTT).  Upon illumination with a 980 nm laser, the Au-Cu2-xSe nanocrystals produced significant photothermal heating with a photothermal transduction efficiency comparable to that of larger gold nanostructures that have been widely studied for PTT.  In vitro photothermal heating of Au-Cu2-xSe nanocrystals in the presence of human cervical cancer cells caused cell ablation after 10 min laser irradiation.  Cell viability assays demonstrated that the hybrid nanocrystals are biocompatible at doses needed for photothermal therapy. 
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