Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy.
Gdansk University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Energy Institute, Poland.
J Mater Chem B. 2023 Jul 26;11(29):6823-6836. doi: 10.1039/d3tb00865g.
The outspread of bacterial pathogens causing severe infections and spreading rapidly, especially among hospitalized patients, is worrying and represents a global public health issue. Current disinfection techniques are becoming insufficient to counteract the spread of these pathogens because they carry multiple antibiotic-resistance genes. For this reason, a constant need exists for new technological solutions that rely on physical methods rather than chemicals. Nanotechnology support provides novel and unexplored opportunities to boost groundbreaking, next-gen solutions. With the help of plasmonic-assisted nanomaterials, we present and discuss our findings in innovative bacterial disinfection techniques. Gold nanorods (AuNRs) immobilized on rigid substrates are utilized as efficient white light-to-heat transducers (thermoplasmonic effect) for photo-thermal (PT) disinfection. The resulting AuNRs array shows a high sensitivity change in refractive index and an extraordinary capability in converting white light to heat, producing a temperature change greater than 50 °C in a few minute interval illumination time. Results were validated using a theoretical approach based on a diffusive heat transfer model. Experiments performed with a strain of as a model microorganism confirm the excellent capability of the AuNRs array to reduce the bacteria viability upon white light illumination. Conversely, the cells remain viable without white light illumination, which also confirms the lack of intrinsic toxicity of the AuNRs array. The PT transduction capability of the AuNRs array is utilized to produce white light heating of medical tools used during surgical treatments, generating a temperature increase that can be controlled and is suitable for disinfection. Our findings are pioneering a new opportunity for healthcare facilities since the reported methodology allows non-hazardous disinfection of medical devices by simply employing a conventional white light lamp.
细菌病原体的广泛传播导致严重感染，并迅速传播，尤其是在住院患者中，这令人担忧，是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。由于这些病原体携带多种抗生素耐药基因，目前的消毒技术越来越不足以阻止它们的传播。因此，人们迫切需要新的技术解决方案，这些解决方案依赖于物理方法而不是化学方法。纳米技术支持为突破性的下一代解决方案提供了新颖和探索性的机会。在等离子体辅助纳米材料的帮助下，我们提出并讨论了创新细菌消毒技术中的发现。固定在刚性基底上的金纳米棒（AuNRs）被用作高效的白光到热转换器（光热效应），用于光热（PT）消毒。所得的 AuNRs 阵列在折射率上表现出高灵敏度变化，并且在将白光转换为热方面具有非凡的能力，在几分钟的光照时间内产生大于 50°C 的温度变化。结果使用基于扩散热传递模型的理论方法进行了验证。使用作为模型微生物的菌株进行的实验证实了 AuNRs 阵列在白光照射下降低细菌活力的出色能力。相反，在没有白光照射的情况下， 细胞仍然存活，这也证实了 AuNRs 阵列缺乏内在的毒性。AuNRs 阵列的 PT 转导能力用于产生医用工具在手术治疗过程中的白光加热，产生可控制且适合消毒的温度升高。我们的发现为医疗机构开辟了新的机会，因为所报道的方法允许通过简单地使用常规的白光灯对医疗器械进行无害消毒。
