Abstract
Peroxidase-mediated chemokinetic therapy (CDT) can effectively resist bacteria; however, factors such as the high dosage of drugs seriously limit the antibacterial effect. Herein, CuFeS(2) nanoparticles (NPs) nanozyme antibacterial system with the photothermal effect and peroxidase-like catalytic activity are proposed as a combined antibacterial agent with biosafety, high-efficiency, and broad-spectrum antibacterial ability. In addition, the as-obtained CuFeS(2) NPs with a low doses of Cu(+) and Fe(3+) can change the permeability of bacterial cell membranes and break the antioxidant balance by consuming intracellular glutathione (GSH), which results in more conducive ROS production. Meanwhile, the photothermal heating can regulate the CuFeS(2) NPs close to their optimal reaction temperature (60 °C) to release more hydroxyl radical in low concentrations of H(2)O(2) (100 µM). The proposed CuFeS(2) NPs-based antibacterial system achieve more than 99% inactivation efficiency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (10(6) CFU mL(-1) MRSA), hyperspectral bacteria β-Escherichia coli (10(6) CFU mL(-1) ESBL) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10(6) CFU mL(-1) PA), even at low concentration (2 μg mL(-1)), which is superior to those of the conventional CuO NPs at 4 mg mL(-1) reported in the literature. In vivo experiments further confirm that CuFeS(2) NPs can effectively treat wounds infected by MRSA and promote the wound healing. This study demonstrates that excellent antibacterial ability and good biocompatibility make CuFeS(2) NPs a potential anti-infection nanozyme with broad application prospects.