Infrared-Activated Bactericide: Rhenium Disulfide (ReS)-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles.

An attractive strategy for treating bacterial infection is the combination of antibiotic chemotherapy with photothermal therapy (PTT), which could be implemented using multifunctional nanomaterials. In this work, the intrinsic photothermal efficiency of two-dimensional (2D) rhenium disulfide (ReS) nanosheets is enhanced by their coating on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to realize a highly efficient light-responsive nanoparticle endowed with controlled-release drug delivery capability, denoted as MSN-ReS. The MSN component of the hybrid nanoparticle features augmented pore size toward facilitating increased loading of antibacterial drugs. The ReS synthesis is conducted in the presence of MSNs through an hydrothermal reaction and leads to a uniform surface coating of the nanosphere. The MSN-ReS bactericide testing showed more than 99% bacterial killing efficiency in both Gram-negative bacteria () and Gram-positive bacteria () upon laser irradiation. A cooperative effect that led to a 100% bactericide effect on Gram-negative bacteria () was observed when tetracycline hydrochloride was loaded in the carrier. The results show the potential of MSN-ReS to be used as a wound-healing therapeutic with a synergistic bactericide role.