Gao Yufei, Zhang Kai, Chen Mingyi, Zhu Jian, Chen Rouxi, Wang Hsing-Lin
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
School of Textiles Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300384, China.
ACS Appl Bio Mater. 2025 Apr 21;8(4):3454-3463. doi: 10.1021/acsabm.5c00208. Epub 2025 Apr 1.
The development of nanostructured ZnO (nano-ZnO) with tailored morphologies is critical for creating effective antibacterial materials. This study introduces a high-throughput platform for the in situ synthesis of PPC/nano-ZnO composites, enabling precise control over the morphology of nano-ZnO to optimize antibacterial performance. By leveraging electrospinning, heat treatment, and hydrothermal synthesis, we fabricated diverse nano-ZnO structures, including nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanoflowers, on PPC nanofiber membranes. The large experimental data set generated through high-throughput synthesis facilitated the creation of a phase diagram that correlates key synthetic parameters, such as Zn concentration, heat treatment temperature, and hydrothermal conditions, with nano-ZnO morphology and antibacterial efficacy. Tailoring the morphology of nano-ZnO is essential for maximizing antibacterial activity, and our results demonstrate that nanorods exhibit the highest efficacy against due to their enhanced surface area and physical penetration capabilities. Phase diagram analysis revealed that increased Zn precursor concentrations promoted the growth of rod- and flower-like structures, which were linked to superior antibacterial performance. The sample with the highest antibacterial efficacy showed a maximum inhibition zone of 17.88 mm. A mechanistic model suggests that the mechanical disruption of bacterial membranes by sharp nano-ZnO structures is a key contributor to antibacterial action. This work underscores the significance of morphology control in designing effective antibacterial nanomaterials and provides a systematic approach to optimizing their properties.
开发具有定制形态的纳米结构氧化锌（纳米ZnO）对于制备有效的抗菌材料至关重要。本研究引入了一个用于原位合成PPC/纳米ZnO复合材料的高通量平台，能够精确控制纳米ZnO的形态以优化抗菌性能。通过利用静电纺丝、热处理和水热合成，我们在PPC纳米纤维膜上制备了多种纳米ZnO结构，包括纳米颗粒﹑纳米棒和纳米花。通过高通量合成产生的大量实验数据集有助于创建一个相图，该相图将关键合成参数（如锌浓度、热处理温度和水热条件）与纳米ZnO形态和抗菌效果相关联。定制纳米ZnO的形态对于最大化抗菌活性至关重要，我们的结果表明，纳米棒由于其增大的表面积和物理穿透能力而表现出最高的抗菌效果。相图分析表明，增加锌前驱体浓度促进了棒状和花状结构的生长，这与优异的抗菌性能相关。抗菌效果最高的样品显示最大抑菌圈为17.88毫米。一个机理模型表明，尖锐的纳米ZnO结构对细菌膜的机械破坏是抗菌作用的关键因素。这项工作强调了形态控制在设计有效的抗菌纳米材料中的重要性，并提供了一种优化其性能的系统方法。
