Self-Trapped Excitons in Carbon Quantum Dots with Large NIR-II Photo-Thermoelectric Catalysis Induce Pyroptosis for Cancer Therapy.

Pyroptosis, an immunogenic cell death mechanism triggered by Gasdermin family proteins, represents a transformative frontier in tumor immunotherapy. While carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as pyroptosis-triggering agents, their efficacy in NIR-II light-mediated therapy remains constrained by a low absorption coefficient and uncontrolled charge recombination. Herein, CQDs with high-density self-trapped excitons (STEs) exhibiting NIR-II absorption and an exceptional photothermal conversion efficiency of 51.2% are engineered. By optimizing the migration dynamics of hot carriers, directional charge separation is achieved, which generates cytotoxic hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals. The synergistic photo-thermoelectric catalysis triggers pyroptosis via reactive oxygen species-caspase 1-gasdermin D activation, eliciting robust systemic immunity that effectively eliminates the primary tumor and prevents tumor recurrence. This work establishes STE engineering as a universal design principle for advanced nanomaterials while pioneering a NIR-II-responsive pyroptosis platform that bridges localized ablation with systemic antitumor immunity, offering a paradigm shift for precision immuno-oncology.