Regulation of band gap and localized surface plasmon resonance by loading Au nanorods on violet phosphene nanosheets for photodynamic/photothermal synergistic anti-infective therapy

In the face of the serious threat to human health and the economic burden caused by bacterial antibiotic resistance, 2D phosphorus nanomaterials have been widely used as antibacterial agents. Violet phosphorus nanosheets (VPNSs) are an exciting bandgap-adjustable 2D nanomaterial due to their good physicochemical properties, yet the study of VPNS-based antibiotics is still in its infancy. Here, a composite of gold nanorods (AuNRs) loaded onto VPNS platforms (VPNS/AuNR) is constructed to maximize the potential of VPNSs for antimicrobial applications. The loading with AuNRs not only enhances the photothermal performance via a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, but also enhances the light absorption capacity due to the narrowing of the band gap of the VPNSs, thus increasing the ROS generation capacity. The results demonstrate that VPNS/AuNR exhibits outstanding antibacterial properties and good biocompatibility. Attractively, VPNS/AuNR is then extensively tested for treating skin wound infections, suggesting promising in vivo antibacterial and wound-healing features. Our findings may open a novel direction to develop a versatile VPNS-based treatment platform, which can significantly boost the progress of VPNS exploration.